Advancements in technology and science contributed to one the most gory and bloodiest war in the annals of human existence. These new technological advancements revolutionized how people regarded war. War was no longer where the opposite forces fought in a coordinated battle. War evolved into game of cunning strategy where the side with the bigger, powerful, and smarter toys played better. This led to a fierce competition where each side tried to create the smarter machines and better weapons, leading to deadly mass killing weapons in the process. One weapon or machine was created and an even better one was made. New developments such as machine guns, poison gas, tanks, and new strategy to thwart trench warfare affected how WWI was fought and it came with catastrophic results.
Poison gas was perhaps the most feared weapon out of all. Created to overcome the long stalemate style of trench warfare, its purpose was to draw out soldiers hiding in the trenches. One side would throw the poison gas into the enemy trenches and they would either wait for their enemy to come out into open fire or perish in the trenches. The first poison gas used in battle was chlorine at the start of the Second Battle of Ypres on April 22, 1915 by the Germans. Shortly after, followed the phosgene. The effects of these gases were ghastly. Chlorine was the most deadly as "within seconds of inhaling its vapor, it destroys the victim's respiratory organs, bringing on choking attacks" (Duffy). Phosgene had similar effects, except the fact that the effects started kicking in after 48 hours of inhalation. In September 1917, the Germans introduced the mustard gas or Yperite which was contained in artillery shells against the Russians at Riga. Those exposed t...
... middle of paper ...
...eaponry and sophisticated machines, this total could have been reduce by nearly half and showed how destructive these weapons were. Technology in World War I laid a foundation for even more powerful and deadly weapons such as the nuclear bomb. Technology made war even more bloody and destructive then it already was.
Works Cited
Duffy, Michael. "First World War.com - Weapons of War: Poison Gas." First World War.com - A Multimedia History of World War One. Web. 05 Feb. 2010. .
"Science & Technology in World War I." Shmoop: Study Guides & Teacher Resources. Web. 04 Feb. 2010. .
"Technology during World War I: Facts, Discussion Forum, and Encyclopedia Article." AbsoluteAstronomy.com. Web. 05 Feb. 2010.
Click here to unlock this and over one million essays
Show MoreWorld War Warfare was one of the greatest examples of technological advancement and strategic challenge, with the introduction of inventions such as the aircraft and the tank the battlefield transformed from attrition as scene in the early years of the war to decisive by the end of the war.
Looking back at how the chemical weaponry expanded starting in the beginning of World War 1, it all began with Tear gas which was used by the French in August of 1914. Those techniques have been used in ancient times. Moving forward eight months in to the war the Germans have been giving great study in to the development of chemical weapons due to the first usage from the French and witnessed its great effectiveness and were the first to use it in a large scale.
[World war one -weapons]. (2013, February 25). Retrieved November, 2000, from War and Military Records website: http://www.historyonthenet.com/WW1/weapons.htm
World War II, global military conflict that, in terms of lives lost and material destruction, was the most devastating war in human history. It began in 1939 as a European conflict between Germany and an Anglo-French coalition but eventually widened to include most of the nations of the world. It ended in 1945, leaving a new world order dominated by the United States and the USSR.
types of weapons used in World War I. The greatest advances were in aircraft and tanks.
White, Thomas H. "13. Radio During World War One (1914-1919)." 13. Radio During World War One (1914-1919). N.p., n.d. Web. 04 June 2013.
Chemical weapons have been used in many occasions in war, including Ancient Times, The Middle Ages, World War I, and World War II and so on throughout time. Many kinds of chemical weapons have been used but modern chemical weapons started on April 22, 1915, with the Germans use of Chlorine gas on the Allie troops in WWI. In this incident 6,000 cylinders of the gas were released by 2 battalions along a 6 kilometer of the front, and the wind dispersed the clouds of gas killing 5,000 soldiers and putting 1,500 more out of the war. This caused great panic because nothing like this had happened before and wasn't expected by the allies. Previous to this event in the Middle Ages they used such things as arsenic and more natural things as chemicals which were as powerful as the chlorine gas ended up being in WWI. Chemical weapons were used many times after the Germans used chlorine gas in WWI, chlorine, phosgene, benzyl bromide, hydrogen cyanide, and then mustard gas in 1917. Mustard gas became the worst and most popular chemical weapon used when it came out because of how harmful it was to the enemies; in addition it was figured that 1,300,000 soldiers were killed by the chemical weapons by the end of WWI. This essay stated that: "If the first World War had continued for yet another year it would indeed have been called the first Chemical War" (A Short History of Chemical Weapons) In WWII the use of chemical weapons decreased a lot and was only used in the Far East.
Chemical warfare is the most terrifying and debilitating way to gain the advantage on your enemy or adversary. The use of chemical warfare dates back to World War I; although it is believed that Spartan and Greek armies used a type of chemical warfare dated back to 82-72 BC. Chemicals were used in combat during World War I. Some of the chemicals being used were chlorine, phosgene, and mustard gas. The Chemical Warfare in World War I began as the Germans used chlorine gas, and threw it into the trenches where the troops and most of the defensive positions were located. Nearly 33% of casualties during World War I resulted from chemical warfare. Only 25% percent were fatalities. At the end of World War I, the casualties resulting from chemical attacks multiplied to a devastating 1,240,853. A total of 91,198 died from injuries sustained from the chemical attacks (Service, 1953). Doctors had no cure or remedy this early in time. Throughout this informative research paper, in this history of I will be breaking down the history and origins of chemical warfare. The history of chemical warfare has changed the world. Our fears of chemical attacks in the future have increased and will continue to get worse.
Chemical warfare is the use of chemical agents to injure, incapacitate, or kill enemy combatants. First seen during World War I (WWI), the devastating effects of widespread chemical warfare were eventually deemed inhumane by an international consensus and chemical agents were subsequently banned from use. Still, despite the tendency of the modern warrior to overlook antiquated tactics, the threat of chemical agents in the theater of war cannot be entirely discounted by today's Soldier. By analyzing the application, evolution, and overall legacy of chemical weapons in the Great War we can work to minimize the danger they pose in current conflicts and those of the near future. For it is only by understanding the past that we can understand the present and shape tomorrow.
Within World War I began a new age of warfare. As compared to previous engagements, the adoption of new weapons changed the way in World War I was fought. Not only did the concept of war change in terms of where battles were fought, how much revenue must be spent on the war and how much time a war could span; weapons changed. During the Indian Wars and War for independence, basic weapons were used. World War I began to become mobile. Use of planes, tanks and other technological advances had been implemented. The technological advances brought about were implemented within this war in an attempt to make the war last a shorter and to show prestige. Not only were mobile aerial and ground assets involved in war now, but other technology such as flamethrowers, machine guns and poisonous gas was also introduced.
More people died because of technology in WW2. More people were killed in WW2 then WW1, as the technology was updated in WW2. Technology can be great but in the case of WW2, it proved tragic. Updated technology such as the entire auxiliary used in WW2 proved to be working because way more people died in WW2 than WW1. Rapid advances in bombs and guns proved deadly, WW2 was a very bad example of technology.
In the book All Quiet on the Western Front the Author Erich Maria Remarque portrays the use of Poisonous Gas and also describes the gas and the effects it produces. He portrays it as a deadly weapon of war. During World war 1 both the Germans and the allies go through three stages of poisonous gas 1414, Mustard Gas, then they used tear gas.
Heller, C. E. (1985). Chemical warfare in World War I: the American experience, 1917-1918. Fort Leavenworth, Kan.: Combat Studies Institute, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College ;.
Field, Frank. British and French Operations of the First World War. Cambridge (England); New York: Cambridge University Press, 1991.