The First World War was one of the hallmark events that defined the 20th century. Fought from 1914 to 1918, the conflict involved many parts of the world including Europe, the United States, and parts of the Middle East. Technologically, the war was significant because it saw the rise of new types of weapons that came into existence thanks to advancements in areas such as electric power, radio, and chemical weaponry. Most importantly, all the participants in the war remained aware of the deadly effects that the new technology would have on the outcome of the war. For instance, Jacky Fisher, a British Admiral in 1915 wrote that "the war is going to be won by inventions." 1 New weapons, therefore, emerged including machine guns, submarines, airplane, poison gas, and tanks, all of which increased the number of casualties and further brought the war down to the civilian populations. As a result of advancement in technologies such as the tank, airplane, poison gas, flamethrower, and tracer rounds amongst other, the First World War is regarded one of the deadliest battles ever fought in the history of the world.
The Tank
The tank played a significant role in the course of the First World War. However, before its full use in the war, it was utilized with little successes in several battles including the Battle of Flers and the Battle of Somme. Although the tank was regarded as an unreliable form of weaponry, it played a significant role in bringing an end to the horrors that come from trench warfare and subsequently initiating mobility to the Western Front. 2 The tank was born out of the need of the need to provide vehicle weapons that would guarantee troops with firepower and mobile protection. Several factors that led to the invention of the tank include the availability of elements such as armor plate, internal combustion engine, and the continuous track amongst others. The name “tank” was used by the British forces who wanted to conceal the nature of the weapons under the guise of normal water tanks. In the wake of the First World War, Britain began serious endeavors to develop the tank. As earlier intimated, the tanks were utilized in various battles in the First World War. During the early days of the war, the tans appeared in the Battle of Flers-Courcelette in September of 1916. 3 It was, therefore, the first time the tanks were used. Britain alone sent approximately 49 tanks to facilitate the course of the war. However, the slowness of the tanks made them unreliable as most could not exceed a speed of 4 miles per hour.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
One battle in which the tanks made the most impact was the Battle of Cambrai fought in 1917. The person responsible for the role of the tank in the war was known as JFC Fuller, a British Colonel. In this battle, the tanks proved to be more effective as the soldiers embraced the lessons acquired from the early tanks. IN 1917, British produced a new version of the tank known as the Mark 5 which had more and improved features that enabled it to dig in the mad while negotiating obstacles. Another critical question vital to answer is the how the tanks affected the outcome of the war. Significant to note is that the tanks altered the warfare in that it improved the opponents' ability to withstand potential bombardment, barbed fences, and even the machine gun fire. They also revolutionized the war because the soldiers used them to prepare and lead the way for the infantry units and further offer cover for any assault operation. Furthermore, the soldiers benefited because they had extra shield hence reducing injuries. The tanks revolutionized the war both on air and on land as it enabled the carriage of surface-to-air missiles thus allowing the opponents to repel attacks from their enemies.
The Airplane
The start of the war featured crude and basic aircraft. However, as the First World War neared its close, the airplanes used were more sophisticated and could act as fighters and long-range bombers. Since the first airplane was invented in 1903, it was practically unrealistic to have fully developed military planes that could be used at the start of the war in 1914. A British company known as Avro produced an aircraft known as 504 that was used in the early stages of the war. When the conflict began in 1914, the airplane thus played a pivotal role for all the factions involved in the battle. As earlier noted, the early forms of the aircraft were mostly unarmed and only played a part in the role of surveillance until the addition of the weapons. In a bid to create a fighter plane, the machine gun was fixed on to it. It was not until 1915 that the first plane was used in carrying out an attack. On April 1 of that year, Roland Garros, a French pilot, flew a plane armed with a machine gun and used its propeller to fire around. 4 The lower sections of the propeller remained protected using steel armor plates that effectively deflected any bullet that attempted to strike the blades. During his attack, Garros destroyed a German observation plane. Within a fortnight, he had attacked another four planes, a factor that turned him into a national hero and a benchmark for air attack.
The aircrafts had an immense impact on the course of the First World War. However, this was an unimaginable fete given that the planes were mostly employed for reconnaissance purposes and gathering information from the enemy lines. One of the strategists used in utilizing the airplane involved adding weapons such as the machine guns on the surface of the aircraft. As such, attack on the opponents became more unpredictable, especially from the aerial sites. Another innovation added to the airplanes that further had an impact on the war was the addition of the bomber. Initially, the fighter plane was only known for its agility and aggressiveness, a factor that ensured that it defended its airspace. 5 However, the invention of the bomber aircraft expanded the role of the plane to include additional offensive capabilities. As such, this also saw more improvements in the area of strategic bombing. The most significant impact of this strategy was that effects of the war became more profound as the strategic bombing could reduce the likelihood that an enemy would retaliate during the war. The aerial attack provided by the aircraft made the effects of the war more severe due to the ability of the planes to destroy power stations and factories amongst others.
The airplane was used in several battles during the First World War. An example was The Fokker Scourge in 1915 that involved a fighter aircraft fitted with several machine guns. The battle of Verdun and the Somme pitted the use of aircraft during its course in 1916. The Germans were able to install a blockade on the air squadrons of France. Other battles that involved the use of the airplane as weapons included the Bloody April that was fought in 1917 and the Spring Offensive fought in 1918.
Poison Gas
Gas warfare was extensively used during the First World War. It involved the use of weapons that sought to cause casualties through the impact of poisonous gases and other chemical agents. The use of the toxic gases was always anticipated especially in the wake of the First World War as seen by the treaty signed in The Hague Peace Conference of 1899 which states that countries must "abstain from the use of projectiles the object of which is the diffusion of asphyxiating or deleterious gasses." 6 Many nations, however, had scientific and industrial tools that made it possible to produce gas weapons in masses. The beginning of August 1914 saw the French army utilize specific rifle grenades which composed of tear gas against their opponents, Germany. However, these weapons proved ineffective hence prompting Britain to engage in more research about the same. However, in spite of all the efforts by these two nations, it was Germany that found the most success with regards to poisonous gas research. The Germans, through the use of manufactured artillery shells containing tear gas amongst other chemical irritants, waged war against the British force in October 1914 at a place known as the Neuve-Chapelle. The Germans also used their acquired chemical warfare against the Russians in January 1915. However, the weapons proved ineffective, and Germany resolved to carry on with extensive research work.
The first successful chemical attack was carried out on April 22, 1915, at Ypres. German soldiers, under the stewardship of Fritz Haber, utilized chlorine gas instead of the artillery shells previously employed. The wind carried large portions of the gas to flow westwards in where was considered as the no man's land. The attack was severe to the Canadians, British, Algerian, and French defenders all of whom were unprepared for the weapon. Germans continued with the attacks, and on September 15, 1915, it successfully attacked Russians. 7 Many of these countries embarked on an effort to create the poisonous gases while also remaining cognizant of the need to make protective gear to prevent possible poisoning with the gas. The chemicals, however, had devastating effects in the course of the war. It was regarded as an extra method of war that was added to the existing military organization. The weapons tilted the landscape of the war as the casualties from the participant countries were recorded in hundreds of thousands. France alone reported approximately 130,000 gas casualties while Germany had about 107,000. United Kingdom recorded 186,000 while the US 73,000. Therefore, in total, the casualty was almost half a million people thus emphasizing on the severity of the chemical weapons in the war.
The Flamethrower
The flamethrower was another lethal weapon that was effectively utilized during the First World War. It uses pressurized air such as nitrogen or carbon dioxide to let out a stream of burning oil up to a length of 18 meters. A German known as Richard Fiedler invented the weapons. The German used it as a way of clearing any potential defenders. The weapons served better in trench warfare since they could not cause damage on long-ranges. As the First World War progressed, everybody that was against Germany feared the weapon. The flamethrower had immense effects, especially at close range. However, it posed almost a similar threat to the person using the weapon because the tank would sometimes blow up abruptly killing dozens of people including the user. However, as the war progressed Britain and France also created their flame weathers because they had witnessed their efficiency in causing damage. Soon, all the countries participating in the war showed the desire to develop the weapon thanks to its effects.
One of the most significant impacts of the flamethrower was the impact it had on people especially the soldiers near the frontline. It was an excellent close range weapon that offered challenges to people who did not have it yet they stayed in the front line. Most of the people killed by the flame weather were either in the trenches or on the front lines. 8 However, the civilians found near the front line did not experience any devastating effects of the weapon because it only covered short range. Furthermore, all buildings and homes near the front line could catch fire and burn thanks to the powerful effects of the flamethrowers.
Tracer Rounds
Before the invention of the tracers, gunners and soldiers had difficulties in tracing the shot bullet. They had to view the impacts of the bullet to inform their decision regarding whether to adjust their aim. However, this was increasingly difficult given that the First World War led to an increase in the range of ammunition. As such, this led to the invention of spotlight bullets which resulted in smoke or flash on impact, a factor that effectively increased visibility. The tracer rounds fired liked the regular bullets in the military guns. The First World War technology played a significant role in improving marksmanship since the soldiers found new ways of visually tracking the path taken by their bullets at night.
The tracer rounds, therefore, assisted in combat process occurring at night because they helped the vision of the soldier at night. The soldiers could effectively see where the bullets ended and thus form a decision as to whether there was a need to fix them or not. In the course of the First World War, the tracer rounds impacted the war in that it ensured that the military strategists and gunners deciphered the strike zones but also gave the enemies an opportunity to find out the source of fire and thus forge a strategy for counter attacks. The British were known to be the greatest beneficiaries of this form of technology during this time.
Shell Shock
Many men were devastated by the events that occurred during the First World War. Most young men suffered mentally as a result of the horrific incidences leading to a toll of almost 20,000 men. More people reportedly showed sign of the shell shock a condition that came to be known as the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The doctors were equally surprised with the condition that they had never witnessed before. Some of the damaging conditions accompanied by the shell shock include the development of blindness, deafness, paralysis, and muteness amongst others. Medical staff conducted thorough research on the condition and found out that it had sophisticated causes. Many suffered from the disease even without having participated in the combat as front liners. By 1916, a whopping 40% of the victims in the war had the debilitating condition. 9
In a bid to treat the disease, the victims were taken to lunatic asylums, disused spas, and private mental institutions. In the UK, more than 20 hospitals solving the shell shock issues had been established. However, outside the medical domain, the condition was not taken any little. It was associated with emotional weaknesses and victims were charged with various things among them cowardice, desertion, and insubordination amongst others. In some instances, others were put on mock trial were others were convicted. However, others eventually received treatment for the infection through several strategies invented by the medical staff of this time. The therapy was seldom harsh and included actions such as solitary confinement, disciplinary treatment, electric shock, physical re-education, shaming, and emotional deprivation.
Depth Charge
The depth charge was also known as the Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) weapon. It was a crude weapon with extraordinary abilities involving a can containing explosives and a detonating fuze at a predetermined depth depending on the hydrostatic pressure. It was essentially practically possible in the course of the First World War because submarines never operated at great depths. The depth charge was developed in 1916 in the Royal Navy. 10 Sometimes known as the Depth bomb, surface ships utilized this technology in a bid to destroy the submerged submarines. The first ever depth charges came as a result of the actions of the British forces, who wanted to use them against the German submarines during the First World War. In most circumstances, the depth charges did not explode with the required tenacity to sink the submarine. However, it resulted in strong shock waves that led to the loosening of the submarine’s joints and destroying its components. As such, the submarine would float on the surface where it could subsequently be finished by gunfire hence making it an effective way of attacking submarines.
In conclusion, the First World War offered a platform for nations to develop sophisticated weapons that added to the damages and casualties witnessed during the war came to an end. It was through scientific inventions, availability of resources, and innovation that this became possible. Common weapon inventions of this war include the tank, the airplane, poisonous gas, flame weather, tracer rounds, and depth charge amongst others. They made the war possible and created a platform on which other more advanced weapons were formed for their use in the subsequent battles such as the Second World War. Therefore, without these weapons, then it is increasingly possible that the war would not have been devastating as it was.
Bibliography
Antal, John. "The Tank and the Evolution of War." Military Technology 28, no. 6 (June 2014): 108-110. Academic Search Premier , EBSCO host (accessed July 4, 2018).
Arskii, Igor' V. "The Frontline Experience of Russian Soldiers in 1914-16." Russian Studies In History 51, no. 4 (Spring2013 2013): 31-49. Academic Search Premier , EBSCO host (accessed July 4, 2018).
Becker, Patti Clayton. Books and Libraries in American Society during World War I: Weapons in the War of Ideas . Routledge, 2013.
Brown, Fredric. Chemical warfare: A study in restraints . Routledge, 2017.
Bustos, Rod. 2017. "Tanks: A Century of Dominating the Battlefield, 1916–2016." Library Journal 142, no. 2: 44. Academic Search Premier , EBSCO host (accessed July 4, 2018).
Eberhardt, Scott. "Technology Innovations in World War I Airplane Design." SAE International Journal of Aerospace 8, no. 2 (December 2015): 282-291. Academic Search Premier , EBSCO host (accessed July 4, 2018).
Halpern, Paul. A naval history of World War I . Naval Institute Press, 2012.
Hennessy, Juliette A. 2017. "MEN AND PLANES OF WORLD WAR I AND A HISTORY OF THE LAFAYETTE ESCADRILLE." Air Power History 64, no. 2: 43-55. Academic Search Premier , EBSCO host (accessed July 4, 2018).
Jones, Edgar. "Terror Weapons: The British Experience of Gas and Its Treatment in the First World War." War in History 21, no. 3 (July 2014): 355-375. Academic Search Premier , EBSCO host (accessed July 4, 2018).
Pruszewicz, Marek. "How deadly was the poison gas of WW1." BBC Magazine (2015).
