Premium Essay

New Weapons In World War 1

Submitted By
Words 1296
Pages 6
New technology shaped war to become more complex and gruesome than ever before. Technological advancements in engineering, chemistry, and other studies had created weapons more lethal than anything prior. Millions had died pointlessly because military leaders were too slow to adapt their old fashioned strategies and tactics, to the new weapons of World War One. Out of all the new weapons in World War One. Three of the most fatal were poison gas, aircrafts, and tanks. Poison gas was created by chemist Fritz Haber. This can be seen in the following quote. “During the war Haber threw his energies and those of his institute into further support for the German side. He developed a new weapon—poison gas, the first example of which was chlorine gas” …show more content…
Poison gas isn’t used today because it has been banned. As seen in the following quote, “The international community banned the use of chemical and biological weapons after World War I and reinforced the ban in 1972 and 1993 by prohibiting the development, production, stockpiling and transfer of these weapons.” ("Chemical and biological weapons", 2013) Although poison gas didn’t kill a lot of people, it did leave a lot seriously injured, blinded, and with other horrible …show more content…
This is shown in the following quote. “On December 17, 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright made four brief flights at Kitty Hawk with their first powered aircraft. The Wright brothers had invented the first successful airplane.” (AirandSpace, "The First Successful Airplane-1903 Marks the Year that the Wright Brothers Invented the First Successful Airplane") During World War One, aircrafts were originally used for scouting and exploring to gain information about the enemy, and its location. Soldiers also used hand guns to shoot from the aircraft, but it wasn’t until later in the war, until they were able to mount a machine gun onto the aircraft and create a “fighter plane”. As seen in this quote, “Early forms were typically unarmed and used in the reconnaissance role until personal weapons were added. From there, the machine gun was finally fixed to these aircraft to create the "fighter" aeroplane.” (MilitaryFactory, "World War 1 Aircraft") The first battle the aircraft was used in was in the Italo-Turkish war, used by the Italians. The following quote supports this, “Powered aircraft were first used in war in 1911, by the Italians against the Turks near Tripoli” (David MacIsaac, "Air warfare", 2015) The aircraft changed the nature of war by making gathering information about the enemy much easier. Since, while inside an airplane, you have a bird's eye view of everything below. This was especially helpful in

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Comparison Of World War I: Advancements In Technology And Weaponry

...more advanced weaponry and technology. But World War I (WWI) likely had the largest surge of advancements in weaponry and technology when it came to high-end warfare. Flamethrowers, mortars, tanks, and machine guns were all-new to the battlefield, providing niche uses, or completing tasks faster and more efficiently than other technology at the time could. It changed how wars played out forever, even if some of the more usual weaponry was more consistent, reliable, and abundant (Weapons of War - Rifles 1). Still, due to WWI’s advancements in technology and weaponry, war would never be the same....

Words: 1393 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Civil War Medicine

...According to most modern statistics, the first world war resulted in the combined deaths of almost 10 million soldiers out of about 65 million died, most of which died during battle, unlike most previous wars during which most died of disease, and 1/3rd of those deaths were caused by an outbreak of Spanish flu, killing more people in one year than did the black plague in four. Contrastingly, the American civil war caused almost a million deaths or more than 2 percent of the entire population of the entire north American continent at the time as opposed to little more than 1 percent of all of the armies put together, not counting civilians. The number of casualties from world war 1 and many others afterwards could have been much larger, but...

Words: 1348 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Worlds War 2

...Aftermath of a World War War has always had an impact on those in involved and others who are not. These impacts can affect everything as the forces at war clash. The countries go into overdrive and attempt to gain the upper hand in some way. Whether it is through technological advances, new weapons, or supplies. After any war has ended, there continues to be some impact, such as new borders, technologies, consequences for the losing side, and the rise of a new leader. World War 1 impacted the world in various ways, such as new technology, weapons, and economical and political problems. During the first war, a new type of weapon that is still used today was first introduced. The first tank to be introduced was the British Mark I, which was designed in 1915 (Mental Floss). The British Mark I intended to cross no man’s land and avoid being shredded by the power of the machines guns from the opposing side. These new armored vehicles proved successful and were improved and used more frequently throughout history. Another form of technology and weapon in the first World War was called the interrupter gear. The interrupter gear was used during air combat and allowed machine guns to be fired without the damaging the aircrafts propeller. This invention allowed for the pilots to fire between the blades of a spinning propeller (Mental Floss). These inventions were later updated or improved upon and used in future wars. The final outcome of the first World War was the defeat of Germany...

Words: 1315 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

International Law and Weapons

...order throughout the world. Countries have long been invading one another over political differences and the desire to conform other countries. Inhumane actions against foreign civilians and those seeking asylum from civil unrest have also played a huge contribution to invasions on foreign soil. Since the induction of the United Nations Security Council in 1941, countries are now under the watchful eye of the world and must obey laws set in place for matters of peace and in dire situations war time laws. BRIEF HISTORY - UNITED NATIONS June 12, 1941 the Declaration of St. James Palace was signed in to effect by key members of fourteen nations including several members of what were exiled governments. This Declaration, also known as the Inter-Allied Declaration, created an alliance between governments across countries under the desire to create peace for all civilians so that they may enjoy economic and social freedoms. 1 2 “The only true basis of enduring peace is the willing cooperation of free people in a world in which, relieved of the menace of aggression, all may enjoy economic and social security; “It is our intention to work together, and with other free people, both in war and peace to this end.” 1 October 24, 1945 the United Nations Security Council is formed consisting of 5 permanent members. January of the following year the UN Security Council adopts it’s official procedures and begins working on the first main focus of nuclear weapons of mass destructions...

Words: 1773 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

The Military Science and War

...invented to fight against others and causes an opposition, which is called “War”. War is a conflict by force of arms between political bodies, the science or art of arms but also a terrible way to express a nation’s decisions or position. As we can observe that war directly pertains to military science, it is clear that wars are fought because of competition between nations in military science and the military science is improved because of wars. World War I and World War II are the biggest and most deadly wars so far between human beings; therefore they clearly support this statement. War World I was happened between 1914- 1919, and was fought between two group of power, Central Powers and Allies. The Central Powers were made of Austria- Hungry, Bulgaria, Ottoman and Germany; the Allies were formed by Britain, France, and Russia. They grouped together because of fear of militarism, imperialism and the ideas of nationalism. As Dr. James West Davidson states “Nationalism encourages unity, it also created mistrust and bitter rivalry between European nations”; “Imperialism fueled rivalries among powerful nation. Between 1870 and 1914, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Russia scrambled for colonies in Africa, Asia and the Pacific. Often, several nations competed for power in the same region.”; “Militarism was a source of tension. European nations expanded their armies and navies, creating new stresses”[1] Nationalism gives feeling that one nation or race is...

Words: 2827 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

Prisoner's Dilema: Atomic Weapons

...Nuclear Weapons: Then and Now Politics, especially on an international level, is a complex and messy subject. One simply has to open up a newspaper or tune into the evening news for evidence. While many problems can be resolved peacefully through negotiations, there are problems in international relations that manage to escalate quickly and result in a war between two or more countries. From revolutionary wars to World Wars, violence has always been part of international relations. However, with recent technological advancements, wars have taken an especially deadly turn. Advanced weaponry has allowed soldiers to become more “efficient” when fighting a battle allowing them to kill many more enemy combatants and innocent bystanders. The most devastating of these newly created weapons are nuclear weapons such as the atomic and hydrogen bombs. These weapons have the capacity to eliminate hundreds of thousands of people, obliterate cities, and possibly end life on earth, as we know it. The most destructive of these weapons was tested by the Soviets in 1961 during the Cold War. The hydrogen bomb that was being tested had a destructive power of approximately 60 megatons. The Soviets formally named the bomb Ivan, but nicknamed it the “King of Bombs.” Originally, Ivan was going to be constructed with a power of 100 megatons, but the Soviets decided it was too risky and dangerous. To put this in perspective, a single megaton can create temperatures that are five times as intense as the...

Words: 2133 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

How Did World War 1 Change

...Many new weapons cause World War 1 to change. The main weapons were gas attacks, gas masks, machine guns, zeppelins, and tanks. The gas attack and mustard gas were created by the Germans. It was very hard for the troops to fight with gas masks. They had big guns and could not hold the mask on their face while fighting. Back in the days, machine guns were huge and heavy, but they were very powerful. Tanks were slow, but it helped fight through mud and water. Zeppelins were like modern-day blimps. Gas attacks were extremely powerful to the troops in World War 1. The first place the gas attacked was in the lungs and other mucus parts of your body. When this happened, the troops would not be able to breathe and would obviously die after that....

Words: 439 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Weapons of Mass Destruction

...Weapons of Mass Destruction Weapons of Mass Destruction (1) Introduction (2) The Term * 1 Early uses of term * 1.1 Evolution of its use * 2 Definitions of the term * 2.1 United States * 2.1.1 Strategic * 2.1.2 Military * 2.1.3 Criminal (civilian) * 3 Common hazard symbols * 3.1 Radioactive weaponry/hazard symbol * 3.2 Biological weaponry/hazard symbol (3) Treaties * 1 General * 2 Delivery systems * 3 Biological weapons * 4 Chemical weapons * 5 Nuclear weapons * 5.1 Non-proliferation * 5.1.1 By region * 5.2 Weapons limitation * 5.3 Cooperation (4) Nuclear (or) Atomic (4.1) Nuclear warfare * 1 Types of nuclear warfare * 2 History a. 2.1 1940s i. 2.1.1 Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki ii. 2.1.2 Immediately after the Japan bombings b. 2.2 1950s c. 2.3 1960s d. 2.4 1970s e. 2.5 1980s f. 2.6 Post–Cold War g. 2.7 Sub-strategic use * 3 Nuclear terrorism * 4 Survival (4.2) Nuclear Weapons * 1 Types * 1.1 Fission weapons * 1.2 Fusion weapons * 1.3 Other types * 2 Weapons delivery * 3 Nuclear strategy * 4 Governance, control, and law * 4.1 Disarmament * 4.2 United Nations * 5 Controversy * 5.1 Ethics * 5.2 Notable nuclear weapons accidents * 5.3 Nuclear testing and fallout * 5.4 Public opposition * 6 Costs and technology...

Words: 790 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

The Pros And Cons Of Nuclear Power

...in 2015. Since the early 1990s, the United States is currently the only superpower country in the world due to their economy, military, and political influence. The United States relies on nuclear power for over the past three-quarters of...

Words: 1936 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Xxxxx

...How does Ted G. Goertzel claim C.W Mills’ s The Cause of World War III C. Wright Mills, who was a famous sociologist of America, claimed that a new world war is coming up and the cause of World War III is the military industrial complex. He states his opinion about new world war detailedly in his book The cause of World War III. In addition, we can know more about Mills’ s opinion about how does he regard the military industrial complex and the power elites. The Ted G. Goertzel clamed that Mills’ s opinion about new world war was wrong in his article The Cause of World War III, Thirty Years Later. However, Mills’ s opinion about new world war is partly right and partly wrong. It will be some local wars caused by the military industrial complex. But the nuclear wars will never happen between. Charles Wright Mills was born in 1916 and died in 1962. He was one of the famous sociologist at that time. Also, as a sociology professor at Columbia University, some of his works are remaining until nowadays, such as The Power Elite; White Collar; The Sociological Imagination. The Power Elite is about the class alliances in the U.S. Military; economy elite and political. The White Collar is an introduction of middle class in the U.S. He proposed the proper relationship in sociological scholarship between biography and history in the book named The Sociological Imagination. And this book was considered as the most influential book of Mills. He was so influential that The...

Words: 1649 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

If Poison Gas Can Go

...support the elimination of nuclear weapons from acceptable military arsenal just like poison gas was banned. The author believes that just like chemical weapons were developed, used successfully in war and eventually abandoned so will nuclear weapons. Carroll believes that nuclear weapons are dangerous and can be used for enormous destruction. The author builds his arguments from a historical perspective. At the beginning of the 20th century when scientists were experimenting with new weapon technology, “poisonous weapons” were developed (Carroll 1). The world reacted by outlawing these weapons through the Hague Convention in 1907. However, this did not stop countries from developing and using chemical weapons in war. Germany and Britain used asphyxiating gas in World War I. While there were less than 100,000 casualties fewer than the millions cause by conventional military weapons, the chemical weapons still cause great concern in Europe. The author identifies a group of people he terms as “realists”. They represent strong opposition against the banning of effective military weapons. The realists were opposed to the abolition of the use of military weapons in the 1900s and are also against the abandonment of nuclear armament. The realists’ main argument is that nowhere in history have effective weapons been abandoned because the ultimate goal of armament is to have the most lethal weapons. Therefore disarmament of chemical or nuclear weapons is not realistic. Carroll counters...

Words: 1223 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

World War 1: How Weapons Changed the War

...World War One saw the beginning of a new era in warfare. It put an end to static war and created mobile warfare. It also was the beginning of the concept of total war as battles began to be fought in civilian areas and an entire nation’s economy had to be dedicated to winning the war. World War one turned into a bloody stalemate because of trench warfare and the large amounts of soldiers needed to break the defence ratio but in an attempt to break the stalemate the many nations fighting invented various technologies such as the tank, flamethrower, and poisonous gasses to bring about a faster end to the Great War. Trench warfare was used during this time period to be able to protect soldiers from enemy artillery and machinegun fire. This resorted in static defences spanning the entire French-German border. Because of the trenches spanning such great distances there was no room for flanking maneuvers to be made against the opposing army. This left only the possibility of a frontal point attack to try to break the trench line. Soldiers had to run from their trench to the opposing trench across an open field known as no-man’s land while also being fired upon by machine guns, artillery, and gas weapons. Due to there being little to no cover in no-man’s land many soldiers would be gunned down by the thousands in a feeble attempt to break the enemy defence. With casualties mounting the British navy began to develop a new concept as to how to protect soldiers as they cross no-man’s...

Words: 619 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Inventions During World War 1

...Wars are known for how they started, the number of deaths, how it made a country better, who was involved, how expensive it was, and many other reasons. World War 1 is a well known war today because of how big technology was. New inventions were being made and as we know, they were very successful. Even though they Allies won, the Triple Entente who included Germany, France, and Russia, should’ve won because of their better technology. Three of the inventions that they had were tanks, u-boats, and aircraft carriers. A very successful weapon that the Triple Entente used was the A7V model tank. Tanks were one of the most important pieces of technology during The Great War. In 1918, the Germans introduced the A7V model tank. Joseph...

Words: 724 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Nuclear War

...to you, Mr. President, with understanding that we, as a nation, sit in a tough predicament. The war has been going on for quite sometime now and although we’ve made some advances on the front lines, it still doesn’t seem like enough to defeat those threatening us. Innocent lives have been taken on both our part as well as our enemies’ and our nation is looking to you in hopes that you may have some sort of a strategy to end this war once and for all. It has been brought to my attention that the use of nuclear weapons has been proposed to you as a strategy to bring this long war to an end. Nuclear weapons have proved somewhat successful in the past (WWII) and are still available for use in an even larger quantity. The reason why my saying that it was “somewhat successful” is because although it brought an ending to World War II, it caused a tremendous amount of hurt to many innocent people and to nature. The use of the nuclear weapon also tickled the curiosity of many nations to begin building their own nuclear bombs. When it was first used, we were the only ones that had successfully harnessed the nuclear energy to use it as weapons of mass destruction. Now in time, that is no longer the case. Many nations now also have a line up of nuclear weapons of mass destruction hidden away and ready to be used at a moments notice. Personally, I don’t believe that the use of such a weapon is necessary. I believe that there is much more to lose than to gain from the use of nuclear warfare...

Words: 1717 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

The Case for Bashar Assad to Be Tried as a War Criminal

...Syrian Civil War has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. Since 2011, protests and attacks have been a daily occurrence, and the regime of Bashar Al-Assad has done what it believed was necessary to stop rebel forces and end protests. As such, Assad has committed many questionable, at best, and criminal, at worst, actions against the civilians of Syria in an effort to stop the rebels. The indiscriminate warfare Assad has used against Syrian citizens is shown in multiple international doctrines as illegal, and is thus a war crime, which should be prosecuted. The Statue of the International Criminal Court defines war crimes as “serious violations of the laws and customs applicable in international armed conflict” and “serious violations of the laws and customs applicable in an armed conflict not of an international character (ICRC 2016). Section IV of Rule 156 of the International Committee of the Red Cross, titled Other Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed During a Non-International Armed Conflict, lists use of prohibited weapons subject to criminal sanctions, and specifically references the Chemical Weapons Convention, Amended Protocol II to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, and the Ottawa Convention as laying the groundwork for this guideline. This paper will address historical context of the Syrian Civil War, United Nations documents concerning indiscriminate weapons, the use of these indiscriminate weapons in Syria...

Words: 2422 - Pages: 10