The Effects of Gunpowder on Warfare

The discovery of gunpowder changed war from being fought with medieval weaponry and battle tactics to more modern day weapons and tactics because the gunpowder powered weapons are more deadly. Weapons that use gunpowder to launch projectiles have a greater range than melee weapons and are more powerful than bow and arrows. Also, cannons are more powerful and have a greater range and accuracy than catapults and they also can be reloaded faster than catapults. Gunpowder weapons changed war because they are stronger, more accurate, have a greater range and are able to be reloaded faster than medieval weaponry.

Gunpowder was invented long before the Europeans were introduced to it. Gunpowder was invented by the Chinese in the ninth century . They were actually trying to make an elixir of eternal life, but ended up making one of the most important artifacts of warfare . The Chinese did not originally use gunpowder in weapons, but in fireworks instead. The smoke that combusted gunpowder makes is very thick and can block the colors of the fireworks from being shown, so they had to have different ratios of gunpowder . One of the first weapons that the Chinese made with gunpowder was the “flying fire”. The “flying fire” is an arrow with a burning tube of gunpowder attached to the shaft . Also, the Chinese used gunpowder to make primitive hand grenades, poisonous gas shells, and landmines . Gunpowder was applied to Chinese weapons as well as later European weapons.

One of the most important gunpowder weapons is the musket. Muskets are more lethal than medieval infantry weapons. Weapons used by medieval infantry were the arbalest, axe, basilard, medieval bow and arrow, mace, pike, spear, and warhammer . Hand-held firearms used in the 1700’...

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