...MODERN AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY JULY 27, 2015 There have been many innovations developed as a result of World War Two (WWII). Many of those innovations and technologies were pushed forward in to high gear because of the need created by warfare. All types of items such as a proximity fuse (used to detonate bombs & Anti-Aircraft shells), significant advances in tanks, amphibious mobile troop carriers (DUKW), new designed aircraft carriers took over the old World War One battleships, were a direct product from the conflict. The development of the RADAR (RAdio Detection And Ranging) played a crucial role during the Battle of Britain in World War Two for the British air forces. At a time where the British only had available to them a total of 800 aircraft to try to hold back the German in which had an air force with over 3,000 planes at their ready. The use of Radar gave the British the upper hand by allow them to be able to detect the German aircraft while they were still fifty to sixty miles away. This enabled the British to only permit a limited amount of forces to fight the Germans as the approached knowing the direction, altitude, and speed of the planes as they came. In the great depths of the sea, the German U-boat had become quiet the force that was wreaking havoc on the Allied Naval ships. The U.S. Navy not only had the use of SONAR (SOund Navigating And Ranging) but the development of Bearing Deviation Indicator (BDI) was a useful tool in adding the sonar equipment...
Words: 1086 - Pages: 5
...World War I Innovations and the Realities of the War as seen by Wilfred Owen The adoption and increased use of innovative weapons changed the way World War I was fought compared to previous wars. The Indian Wars of 1865 to 1891 saw use of fairly basic weapons. Bows and arrows, pistols, rifles, tomahawks, knives made from bone, and war clubs created from animal jawbones were all popular weapons during that time. During the American Civil War, Union and Confederacy soldiers used knives, swords, handguns, rifled-muskets, and even though it was not as popular as a common rifle, the Gatling gun was used. The Spanish-American War of 1898 saw the use of the M1895 Colt-Browning machine gun. It was mounted on horse drawn carriages and tripods, and had a slow rate of fire. It was not until World War I that weapons such as machine guns, tanks, and mustard gas were used. The machine gun was every effective during World War I. A machine gun could fire over 600 bullets in one minute and on the opening day of the battle of the Somme the British suffered 60,000 casualties in a single day because of the machine gun fire. The Germans had plenty of machine guns as they had been anticipating the war for some time. The British battalions were only issued with two machine guns so this was another reason for the devastation at the battle of the Somme. The machine gun itself was also fairly small in size which made it very difficult for the opposition to destroy. It was also heavy and easily overheated...
Words: 1562 - Pages: 7
...Conflicts leads to innovations this is a repetitive cycle. From conflicts throughout history there are changes being made which can lead to conflicts and this cycle is repeated. An example of the this cycle is the American Revolutionary War and World War 1. The American Revolutionary War was known to be the start of America gaining their independence which was a change in the country but as starting country many conflicts arising. During the American Revolutionary War the disagreement between America and Great Britain, For the colonists wanted their independence from Great Britain. The British did not agree with the innovation the colonists thought was solution. Leading them to war. The war lead many to die not from combat but rather from...
Words: 384 - Pages: 2
...WESTERN WAY OF WAR (Name) (Institutional Affiliation) (Date) Warfare plays different roles. It is at times used as a way through which large empires are built. Civil war as another form of warfare is, on the other hand, what leads to the downfall of the empires. All societies and all historical periods have experienced war at one point in time. Different nations or militaries use diverse war approaches and tactics depending on their experiences and goals. Over time, different war approaches have been utilized by various regions across the globe. The Western Way of War has been instrumental in ensuring the long-standing dominance of the western nations all over the globe. In the last two centuries, it has turned out to be the prevailed and used by majority of the globes militaries. The ‘Western Way’ is defined by five main facets, namely: dependence on technological advancement, advanced training and discipline, capability to implement new technological innovations (innovativeness) and strategic vision. These aspects have been attributed to the supremacy of the western culture. A pioneer of war is Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden.1 He is highly regarded as an exceptional commander. Under his tenure, Sweden became very powerful, and his battles were won through innovativeness, superb and effective weaponry, impeccable training and government support.2 Gustavus Adolphus is arguably one of the highly respected generals owing to his outstanding military expeditions during his era...
Words: 1298 - Pages: 6
...The Civil War was a milestone of America. A time of strife, a time of fear, a time of innovations. Anyone living in the years 1861-1865 had their own account of the war and the events that happened to them. Shelby Foote, a American historian, declared “And I’m a slow writer: five, six hundred words is a good day. That’s the reason it took me a good 20 years to write those million and a half words of the Civil War”. Despite the wells of information about the war, one fact can be reached: the Civil War has come to benefit modern society. Although the Civil War was a dark time in American history, society has benefitted by creating advances in the medical field, inspiring innovations in the military, and bringing the dispute over slavery to a...
Words: 1520 - Pages: 7
...Liberty University INNOVATIONS DURING WORLD WAR II Arlene A. Tabron Modern American Military History HIUS 380 Professor Ritchie 21 September 2015 INNOVATIONS DURING WORLD WAR II Demise, devastation and agony. These are the words regularly connected with the idea of war. What the vast majority don’t understand is that war additionally achieves the absolute most life adjusting innovations. During World War II, various creations changed the war’s course and the future of the world. The most critical s and feelings of were RADAR/SONAR, computerized hardware, elastic, and the nuclear bomb. The primary driver of World War II were nationalistic strains, uncertain issue and feelings of hatred coming about because of World War I. The events that prompted the war’s episode are for the most part comprehended to be the 1939 attack of Poland by Germany and Soviet Russia and the 1937 intrusion of the Republic of China by the Empire of Japan. These Military Hostilities were the after effect of choices made by dictator administering Nazi elite in Germany and by the administration of the Kwantung Army in Japan World War II began after these forceful activities were met with authority presentation of war as well as equipped resistance. (1) The reason the United States entered the Second World War was a direct result of the surprise attack on their Naval Base at Pearl Harbor in Oahu at 7:55 am on December 7, 1941. The Empire of Japan submitted a shock assault upon the United...
Words: 1915 - Pages: 8
...Of the five characteristics of Western Warfare, the emphasis on innovation best exemplifies warfare in the American Civil War. Throughout history, the combatant with the highest level of technology and innovation typically is victorious over numerically superior forces. For example, using new and innovative methods of constructing fortifications, in 1294 AD, the garrison of Harlech Castle in Wales, consisting of only 37 soldiers, was able to defend against a significantly numerically superior force. During the American Civil War, both sides used the emphasis on innovation to turn the three non-military technologies of the manufacture of interchangeable parts, railroads, and the telegraph, into weapons of modern Western warfare. During the early nineteenth century, gun smithing was an extremely skilled craft and most firearms were handmade, subsequently making them one of a kind . The bulk of the American industrial base was located in New England, and it was there that the “American system of manufacture” was born. As the demand for manufactured goods rose, many companies developed systems that would increase the overall output of their factories while decreasing the need for highly skilled tradesmen. The result was the ability to mass-produce nearly identical parts that could be used in any random selection of parts. The primary American army firearm of the day was the Springfield Musket. The armory at Springfield, Massachusetts, mass-produced the majority of these...
Words: 1158 - Pages: 5
...normal, but when I grew I would only grow two or three months out of those three years. I would have given anything to stop the pain and trade for prosthetics. Some days I wouldn’t even want to get out of bed. I hurt all over. Another reason is that my family has a military background and I feel a calling for military service, but I am unsure of joining the service, this is an indirect way to be involved with military service people in need of services. The last major reason is that prosthetics are super cool, but I know I can do something more. I was meant to enable people to reach their fullest potential; I feel it’s my destiny. Within this paper I am going to discuss the beginning stages of prosthetics to current prosthetic innovations. I have an affinity for two prosthetics organizations; two of the oldest and in my opinion the most innovative companies. The first is Hanger Clinic; this is where I was lucky enough to do my final internship and the other is Ottobock, they are amazing, and Hanger Clinic uses a lot of their products. I am very impressed with both companies and I am most familiar with them as well. The oldest known prosthetic is from Egyptian Era. Mummies...
Words: 1757 - Pages: 8
...Any war fanatic is very familiar with the technological advances during the 1860s. Many factors of weaponry, transportation, and communication became in great use during this era. Innovations and advances include the telegraph, photography, aerial reconnaissance, railroads, army ambulance corps, long-range weapons, and warships. Tools and weapons such as these led to the great destruction and death that became known as the Civil War. Weapons and transportation were a big show stopper during the Civil War. Ships such as submarines and ironclad warships were the biggest threat of the 1860s. Not only were ships used as weapons, but long range weapons such as muskets and Minie Bullet were created to make attacking their target much easier and...
Words: 287 - Pages: 2
...countries. This section mainly focuses on an innovation-technology driven of industrial policy, which might be helpful in promoting skill upgrading, improving industrial growth and producing high quality exported products. Hence, innovation and technology are absolutely important for industrial policy and seen as...
Words: 1517 - Pages: 7
...Even though, the technologies introduced for the first time during the First World War (1914-1918) did not influence its final outcome, due to underdevelopment typical primary failures and mistakes in using them, after innovations they had played an immensely important role in the outcome and duration of the Second World War (1939-1945). New developments in the war in the air and on the sea were introduced, therefore allowing more efficient methods of reconnaissance, transportation, naval blockades and support of the war on the land. The “traditional” (on land) type of the fights was also severely changed due to the modernization of warfare. The tanks, which were first used in the Battle of Somme ( exactly on 5th September 1916) and deemed...
Words: 1627 - Pages: 7
...Is technological innovation the main source of all economic development and change? How might differing research and development systems influence the performance of major nations? Introduction Technological innovation has come to be regarded as a central factor upon which success is contingent (Dodgson and Bessant, 1996: 3; Schumpeter, 1943: 83). Not only has it been considered a promise for generating competitive advantage but it has also been prescribed as a remedy for a broad range of managerial problems such as intense competition, globalised marketplace and technology fusion (Eris & Saatcioglu, 2004). Since the middle of the 20th century many theorists have explored the issue of technological innovation and how it influences performance on the national, industry and firm level. This report will firstly, compare the R&D systems of the USA, UK, Germany, Japan and China and then analyse the automobile and semiconductor industries in relation to these systems to show that technological innovation is not the main source of economic development. Technological innovation Various definitions of technological innovation have been devised as part of existing theories. In addition, technology and innovation are often used interchangeably. Throughout this report, however, technological innovation will be regarded as the usage and knowledge of tools, techniques, crafts or methods in terms of new products and processes (Porter, 1990; Nelson, 1993). Further, a distinction...
Words: 2609 - Pages: 11
...Eliot Cohen the author of a valuable study of supreme command raised the question: “where did the American way of war derive from?” Most have argued for a larger Western heritage dating to classical times of combining decisive battle, superior technology that is the dividend of rationalism, group discipline, and notions of freedom, audit, and constitutional government.(1) Of course, there was a particularly American variant of Western military practice that grew up on a vast frontier and was the result of the impatient nature of American popular culture and its familiarity with machines manifested best in something like George’s Patton’s romp across central France in the summer of 1944, or the dash up from Kuwait to Northern Iraq in the spring of 2003. Cohen, however, believes the U.S. way of fighting is more complex, incorporating all sorts of non-conventional elements. To make that point, he reviews warfare of the eighteenth-century along the northeastern seaboard of the American continent that rugged two-hundred-mile corridor of mountains, forests, and lakes from Albany to Montreal dubbed the “Great Warpath.”(1) His investigations reveal two less appreciated sources for the way Americans currently fight. One was the birth of a unique, and less remarked upon strain of raiding, ambushing, subversion, living off the land, ad hoc alliance building with indigenous peoples, long-range reconnaissance, and patrolling behind enemy lines.(1) The other was a sort of military populism:...
Words: 1431 - Pages: 6
...Innovations that Changed European Lifestyle in the 20th Century Throughout the entire world, change is often inevitable, and different societies have witnessed change in dissimilar capacities over the course of time. Particularly, Europe has undergone several changes over the course of the twentieth century due to a number of innovations. These changes have been experienced in technology, economics, politics, and most of all, in the social arena. The changes have affected their lives of Europeans through total transformation or modification in several ways. In most instances, these changes have been driven by the need to increase production in a bid to improve the economic conditions while in some instances; the changes have been driven by the need to have more convenience in doing different things. The resultant effect of these breakthroughs came in varying capacities such as immediate change while others laid the groundwork for important developments for the future. These innovations ranged from pioneering inventions and political advancements to bold scientific and medical advancements. The adoption of the steam engine as the primary source of power marked the onset of the Industrial revolution, and it revolutionized the process of production in industries such as textiles, agriculture, and transportation (Young, 2005, p. 29). Initially, the most important source of power in the industries was muscular strength that was at times supplemented with water and wind. Even though...
Words: 1734 - Pages: 7
...War is a harsh reality that the world has had to live with from the beginning of time. It has remained constant through out history and has given human beings an outlet to fight for what they believe in. There are three main areas of emphasis that are talked about frequently in the conversations about war and the history it has created. The first is the definition of war itself and what it actually means to the general public, historian community and to veterans themselves. The second is the costs and benefits that are accompanied with war. You have to also consider the sacrifices and negative impacts that war has had on the world since the beginning of time. Third is the history and recollection of what has happened in the past due to war and if the stories, information, and facts can actually be trusted or if they are just a perception of what happened on those many battlefields through out history. War has always been a constant through out history and will continue to be one far into the future due to the fact that it creates innovation, causes sacrifice and creates history that will shape the world we live in for as long as anyone could imagine. It is hard to define what war is in a single sentence and I also believe that it can be given many different meanings depending on what context you are looking at it in and whom you may ask for a definition. The definition provided in the course material is: war is the legal condition that defines the nature of conflict between...
Words: 1530 - Pages: 7
