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Ww1 Total War

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Total war is a military conflict in which each of the participating nations mobilize all available resources in order to completely extinguish another nation’s ability to engage in warfare. The utilization of the governments, economies and populations of the participating nations in WW1 reached an extent never seen before in history. A war economy was adopted throughout Britain, France and Germany. The mass manufacturing of weapons, munitions and other war material was prioritized, and with the mass leap of technology, it indeed affected the outcome and the nature of WW1.
As in the wars prior to WW1, artillery was a key component and a prerequisite for battlefield success. Artillery proved to be a crucial aspect and the number one threat to infantry and tanks alike. Artillery came in several light, medium and heavy forms. Furthermore, field guns served in the direct line of sight role whilst mortars and howitzers allowed for indirect fire support. Howitzers were established in order to be used under cover or against hidden targets. They fired shells on a high trajectory through a short barrel and were considered the best gun to employ against fortifications. The mortar was also similar in …show more content…

Germany was the first to make large scale use of poison gas as a weapon. On 31 January 1915 18,000 artillery shells containing liquid xylyl bromide tear gas (known as T-Stoff) were fired on Russian positions on the Rawka River, west of Warsaw during the Battle of Bolimov. Instead of vaporizing the chemical froze, completely failing to have an impact. Unlike most weapons of the time it was possible to develop countermeasures to the various gas agents and hence in the latter stages of warfare and with the increased utilization of gas, the effectiveness was

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