World War I Weapons and Their Impact on the War

Throughout World War One, the way the war was fought was changing drastically over time. The weapons being used were constantly advancing based on what the soldiers needed to help them defeat the enemy. Each country was trying to outdo the others. Throughout World War One, several new weapons were released to the soldiers such as rifles and machine guns. The weapons manufactured during World War One, such as the rifles and machine guns, forever changed warfare for the worse because these weapons were killing machines and would kill thousands.

The main and most common weapon carried by soldiers during World War One was a rifle (Westwell 12). Although they were very popular, they came in a limited supply (12). Both German and American soldiers had rifles, but did not use the same types of rifles. Each country was constantly trying to make their rifles better to outdo the others. When shooting a rifle, it was important to make sure you were in range of your target. Rifles sighted up to 2,800 yards (Westwell 13). However, were not expected to hit anything past 600 yards (13). It was common for rifles to have a magazine. These allowed soldiers to fire multiple rounds before having to reload. Most magazines had 5 rounds (Westwell 12). However, as time went on and rifles improved, they had bigger magazines. For example, The French Lebel Model, which was invented in 1916, had an 8 round magazine (12). Another important part of a rifle was the bayonets. A bayonet is shaped like the blade of a knife (13). Bayonets were mainly used by Germans (13). The German bayonets had a serrated blade (13). Sniping was a valuable tool, it was normally done in a 2 man team (13). These teams operated from camouflaged hideouts or behind metal plates (13)....

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...ng drastically over time. The weapons being used were constantly advancing. This was done based on what the soldiers needed. Throughout World War One, several new weapons were released to the soldiers such as different models of rifles and machine guns. These weapons that were manufactured during World War One, forever changed warfare for the worse because these weapons were killing machines and were capable of killing thousands within just minutes.

Works Cited

Bull, Stephen. Encyclopedia of Military Technology and Innovation. Westport, CT: Greenwood,
2004. Print.

Westwell, Ian. An Illustrated History of the Weapons of World War One: A Comprehensive
Chronological Directory of the Military Weapons Used in World War One, from Field
Artillery and Machine Guns to the Rise of U-boats and Allied Submarines, with over 200
Photographs. London: Southwater, 2011. Print.