Influence of New Technologies
New technologies are among the factors that influenced the direction and outcome of the First World War. Among these technologies include machine guns, mines and barbed wire (Library of Congress, n.d.). The impact of these technologies was profound. For example, thanks to machine guns, soldiers were able to attack enemies from a safe distance (Library of Congress, n.d.). Furthermore, since they were lighter, the machine guns reduced the strain on soldiers, empowering them to fight more efficiently. Tanks are another technology that was introduced in the war for the first time. Other new technologies employed in the war include surveillance devices which made it possible for countries to collect intelligence, and armored vehicles that protected personnel against firearm attacks (Taylor, 2014). Airplanes that incorporated sophisticated surveillance and targeting features are yet another technology which shaped the war. These airplanes enabled those who had them to target enemy forces from the relative safety of the air (Taylor, 2014). Poison gas was also used in this war (Library of Congress, n.d.) While it offered countries an advantage, this weapon caused untold suffering for thousands. Essentially, these technologies delivered victory to the sides that possessed and developed them.
Sides Benefiting from Technologies
Various sides fighting in World War I benefited immensely from the technologies mentioned above. However, there are some countries and alliances for which the technologies presented the greatest benefit. Britain is among these countries. For example, British forces were able to attack large swathes of enemy territory using advanced airplanes and tanks (Library of Congress, n.d.). Germany also benefited from these technologies. The submarines that it deployed in the war allowed it to attack enemy forces without detection (Library of Congress, n.d.). Furthermore, the advanced nature and devastating effects of the German technologies and weaponry enabled it to strike fear in its enemies. For instance, it won the psychological war through the poisonous gases that it released on enemy soldiers (Library of Congress, n.d.). While they delivered advantages to some sides, the technologies devastated the soldiers on whom they were used.
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Impact on Length of War
Usually, technologies shorten wars by enabling the warring parties to achieve their goals faster. It is rather difficult to establish the impact that the various technologies had on the length and course of World War I. However, there are some who feel that these technologies had little to no impact. For instance, according to the Library of Congress (n.d.), the warring countries relied mostly on the outdated and ineffective techniques and technologies that had been used in the past. For example, even after the introduction of machine guns and tanks, trench warfare is the primary technique that the different sides used. In addition to costing many human lives, this technique was also time-inefficient as soldiers had to fight for days or even weeks to secure small territorial gains. Since there is no control against which the length of WWI can be measured, it is nearly impossible to confidently state that this war was shorter thanks to the technologies.
Most Important Technologies
All of the technologies mentioned earlier had a profound and lasting effect on World War I. However, there are some technologies that were particularly important. Airplanes, poisonous chemicals and machine guns are arguably the most crucial technologies. For example, poisonous gases allowed such sides as Germany to devastate and demoralize their enemies (Library of Congress, n.d.). On the other hand, machine guns drastically reduced the number of soldiers that a country would need to deal serious blows to the enemy. For instance, using traditional weapons, countries would need to deploy thousands of soldiers. The introduction of machine guns changed this as it made it possible for such countries as Germany to bring down hundreds of solders using small contingents of soldiers.
References
Library of Congress. (n.d.). Military technology in World War I. https://www.loc.gov/collections/world-war-i-rotogravures/articles-and-essays/military-technology-in-world-war-i/
Taylor, A. (2014). World War I in photos: technology. Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2014/04/world-war-i-in-photos-technology/507305/
