William Pollard once said, "Learning and innovation go hand in hand. The arrogance of success is to think that what you did yesterday will be sufficient tomorrow." Maybe the generals of World War 1 (WW1) should have been told this when they used cavalry when they were outdated and rifles and machine guns were the weapons of this war. They found this out the hard way which sparked the time of technological innovations and changes that was WW1. The three technological innovations I will write about are machine guns, planes and tanks.
On the one hand, machine guns could be said to be significant because of the extra fire power they provided on a battlefield. It has been estimated that a machine gun creates the equivalent to anywhere between 60 to 100 rifles, depending on the source, in one weapon. This gave an army defending a position a huge advantage over the attacking side and almost certainly prolonged the stalemate as breaking enemy lines became so difficult as reaching the enemy trench was a near impossible thing to do with the machine gun firing at the advancing infantry. It has been estimated that around 20% of the casualties of world war 1 were caused by the machine gun. This figure is very high considering all the possible causes of death in the battlefields of WW1. What also made the machine gun of WW1 significant was how it affected the future. These early models were the basis of a weapon used in all areas of the world ever since these first guns were used in WW1.
Technology greatly affected the way in which wars were fought, especially in World War I. The inventions of the repeating machine gun, the development of poison gas, and the introduction of the first tanks caused armies to fight using the bunkering method. This allowed men to huddle in trenches along what are called skirmish lines and throw, lob, and fire by other means weapons to cause damage while men were protected by about 4 to 5 feet deep earth. This caused men to fight in rear or echelon columns behind tanks can basically caused defensive fighting tactics resulting in drawn out protracted battles.
World War I, also known as the First World War, the Great War and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which took place primarily in Europe from 1914 to 1918.[2] Over 40 million casualties resulted, including approximately 20 million military and civilian deaths.[3] Over 60 million European soldiers were mobilized from 1914 1918.[4] The immediate cause of the war was the June 28, 1914 assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, by Gavril Principe, a Bosnian Serb citizen of Austria-Hungary and member of the Black Hand. The retaliation by Austria-Hungary against Serbia activated a series of alliances that set off a chain reaction of war declarations. Within a month, much of Europe was
Most wars have numerous examples of new technologies developed as part of the war. A war that clearly demonstrates said developments is World War II. In fact, WWII is noted as a
World War One, one of the most deadliest wars in history, caused massive damage to countries in Europe. During World War One, the technology advanced, with many creations were created, that caused a high amount of death and destruction. The U-Boat, also known as a submarine, is a underwater boat that the Germans used during World War One. The Tank was developed in World War One to help make crossing no man’s land easier. Poison gas was used in World War One as a new tactic to kill people in the trenches
In the 1940’s during World War II, technology had presented an importance to ensure success on the front. There were a wide range of scientists outside the military who could make things like this possible. When the war was ending, it had been discussed that lasting peace may not be guaranteed for the future. People in the war department of the Military and in other sections discussed the need for “private organization to connect military planning with research and development decisions” (cite
The technology of World War II, which lasted from 1939 to 1945, was a big part of the determination of the outcome of the war. Much of the technology was developed during the interwar years. Some of it was developed because of failure and hindrance in war progression, obviously because of inefficient technology. Still some was in the beginning stages of development as the war ended. Though earlier war greatly utilized science, mathematics, and innovation, World War II had the largest impact on the innovation in technology of the current lives of Americans. Furthermore, no war, preceeding or succeeding, was as profoundly affected by science, mathematics, and technology as World War II. Science and technology have always made
It was dubbed The Manhattan Project and consisted of some of the most brilliant physicists at the time such as Albert Einstein. Then, in 1945 arguably the most powerful and controversial technology was developed. This was the nuclear bomb and it completely changed the world forever. This weapon could be used to decimate entire cities and the only time it was ever used during any conflict was in 1945 (Shalett, n.d.). Japan was the target and the bomb left nothing but rubble in its path.
Jackie Robinson once said “Life is not a spectator sport. . . . If you're going to spend your whole life in the grandstand just watching what goes on, in my opinion you're wasting your life.” Robinson was always looking to advance not only in baseball, but in life as well. During the years 1945-1970, Americans experienced prosperity, advancements, and controversy. For example, the assassination of John F. Kennedy caused Americans to question the honesty of the government. In addition, Americans also faced massive Civil Rights movements and anti-war protests that divided the country. Some other events/people that affected this era were Martin Luther King Jr., the Space Race, and the wars in Vietnam and Korea (“Prosperity
World War II was and most likely will be the largest and most great war to ever appear on this earth. Although it brought so much death and destruction with a striking total of over 60 million deaths, it is also the deadliest conflict to ever have happened as well. Out of all the horror that was WWII it did create a lot of advancements like the boost in advancements in technology. As well there were great social changes in the United States. Also there were significant boosts in medical sciences. There were economical advancements in the United States. Finally there were advancements in world peace never seen before. Though war should never be defined as good, World War II created many beneficial advancements for the United States and the world.
Another very important weapon used in World War II was the rifle. Most infantrymen were defined by their rifles (Slayton 34). To most men, this gun was the most important, due to the fact that it was their main protection against the enemy. Also, they were around their rifle more than any other weapon which gives the soldiers a more comfortable feeling around their rifles.
is not certain. However what is certain is that it was thought of as a
The 40’s were best known for World War II, but did you know that Velcro was invented during this time period? In the 1940’s, technological changes occurred with their effects being both positive and negative, but these effects have benefited society more by being the basis of many things used today. The technology in the 1940’s had undergone many changes.
First, we will discuss ground vehicle advances. The Jeep was invented in World War Two. It was used as basic transportation for troops. After the war, the Jeep became more popular and was then used as a production vehicle for the public. Tanks of World War One were very primitive and very ineffective. In World War Two, the tank was one of the most important vehicles used. Leading up to World War Two, tanks were made more powerful, faster, lighter, and stronger. Tank warfare was very important in World War Two. All countries involved in the war were producing their own models of tanks. By the end of the war, the Allies had developed a new kind of tank. It had no big guns on it. It was a troop transportation vehicle that was heavily armored. Transportation vehicles were very important in the war. Without transportation, there is no efficient way to move troops. All of these vehicles were very important in the history of war.
American army officer Omar Bradley once said,“If we continue to develop our technology without wisdom or prudence, our servant may prove to be our executioner.” The meaning of this quote lies in the destruction and devastation of humanity and geography during war. If we do not stop advancing in ways of killing and causing suffering, we will soon face the consequences of these technologies. Throughout World War I and World War II, there was a ginormous technological boom in which countries were competing to invent new weapons or vehicles used in warfare. Specifically, World War I could be blamed for the start of the creating of new technologies used in warfare even today. These technologies were often invented or created during World War I,
Insurgent technology though not as advanced as the military technology was arguably more effective. The insurgent’s use of ingenious bomb technology was extremely effective against the U.S. civilians, U.S. soldiers, and the Iraqi people. It was effective against U.S. civilians because it made them want the war to stop so that the soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan would leave, which is the goal of any insurgency. “A bomb’s ability to destroy a target depends on two things: its explosive power and its accuracy.” (Kaplan, 13). While the U.S. military was using satellites and lasers to accomplish this, the insurgents were using simpler means which created the same results, and since they often did not care about hurting civilian