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History of american gun culture
Essay on us gun history
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Flamethrowers:
Their Psychological Effects in Warfare
Weapons have been around since the beginning of mankind. Over thousands of years, human technology has increased to unimaginable heights, and with this advancement, humans have learned the art of warfare. Weapons are the tools of warfare. However there are some weapons which are superior over others. One of those weapons is fire. Being one of the oldest tools in history, there is no set date on when the first controlled fire was ever created, though there is evidence to show that it was first controlled as early as 790,000 B.C. Through the thousands of years since then, the weapons which bare the flame have also evolved.
However, there is one incendiary weapon which sticks out more than the others in their ability to strike fear: the flamethrower. This weapon has the most devastating psychological effects on soldiers. Fire itself has the power inflict fear into the enemy, and the results only intensify when it shot across twenty yards. Flamethrowers are also very dangerous for the carrier, since they are such high-value targets. As effective as they were, these weapons were known to fail quite often, inflicting fear on the user. Tanks armed with flamethrowers were one of the most terrifying thing to see on the battlefield. Along with this, flamethrowers were not the most dependable weapon in combat. This fear-striking incendiary weapon is one of unparalleled effects.
The concept of the flamethrower has been around for centuries. A weapon which shot flames at its target seemed genius. It was not until the First World War that they finally saw much action however. In 1901, a german scientist by the name of Richard Fiedler constructed the first modern flamethrower, which the ...
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Pindelski, Jeffrey. “The Impact of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder On Firefighters.” Firehouse.com. June 18, 2013. Accessed May 18, 2014. http://www.firehouse.com/article/10963131/resources-to-help-firefighters-with-post-traumatic-stress-disorder.
Foster Law Firm, L.C.C. “Mental Health and Pyschological Impact of a Fire.” Accessed May 19, 2014. http://www.fosterfoster.com/Burn-Injury-Law/Mental-Health-Psychological-Impact-of-a-Fire.shtml.
Brown, Scott. Preparing Boys for Battle. Wake Forest, NC: Merchant Adventurers, Inc., 2010.
Bean, Tim. “The Flamethrower: The Worst Weapon of War.” Milpages. Accessed April 23, 2014.http://www.milpages.com/blog/the-flamethrower-the-worst-weapon-of-wa/.
Hurt, Kris. “The Discovery of Fire.” About.com. 2013. Accessed May 13, 2014.http://archaeology.about.com/od/ancientdailylife/qt/fire_control.htm.
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.
Ozer, Emily, and Daniel Weiss. "Who Develops Posttraumatic Stress Disorder?." Current Directions in Psychological Science. 13.4 (2004): 169-172. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.
"Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)." : Symptoms, Treatment and Self-Help. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2014.
Gradus, Jamie L. "PTSD: National Center for PTSD." Epidemiology of PTSD -. N.p., 17 Aug. 2015. Web. 22 Nov. 2015.
Friedman, Mathew J., MD, PhD. "PTSD History and Overview." PTSD: National Center for PTSD. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 31 Jan. 2007. Web. 03 Dec. 2013.
The French were still using the 26 millimeter grenades in 1914 but were having little to no effect because they were using it in an open area. Using it in the open area, the gas would soon dissipate into the air, causing no effect on the enemies.... ... middle of paper ... ...
"Technology during World War I: Facts, Discussion Forum, and Encyclopedia Article." AbsoluteAstronomy.com. Web. 05 Feb. 2010.
With the creation of gun powder the Chinese were anxious to use this, in order to do that they needed something to be created so they made the fire lance it was a small cannon on a stick several feet long this is the earliest firearm ever discovered it is thought to be from the late 12th century. This was more of an addition to the soldiers spear than a gun it was not until later that the first hand cannon was made unlike the fire lance this was a weapon of its own and could shoot almost anything that the soldier could jam in the barrel that they could find on the battlefield. Both of these were fired...
The use of psychology in war is as old as war itself. In ancient Greece, Thermistocles sent his men ashore to carve messages urging the Ionians not to fight against the Athenians (Pease 3). Known as psychological warfare, it is the attempt by one nation to gain an advantage over another by exploiting fear, mistrust, suspicion, rumor, prejudice, and uncertainty to influence international opinion and/or the frame of mind of the opposing soldiers. Psychological warfare is designed to affect the enemy's mind, influencing him to take an action, even against his conscious will, favorable to his opponent (Pease xiii). The United States government employs psychological warfare, known as Psychological Operations (PSYOP), to secure national objectives in times of conflict as well as peace. They are a vital part of the broad range of U.S. political, military, economic, and ideological activities. The ultimate objective of United States military psychological operations is to convince enemy, neutral, and friendly nations and forces to take actions favorable to the United States and its interests. This is accomplished, with varied effectiveness, through several methods and techniques, both on the strategic and tactical levels (Payne). Psychological warfare is also utilized by the United States on civilians and the general population of liberated territories. This branch of psychological operations is known as consolidation (Pease 9).
Personal weapons fired at short ranges are the primary weapons of terrorists as well as the police officer or soldier fighting against them. One of the most important facets of personal weapons is that they have changed little since the 1940s. They have not been affected by the technological revolutions of nuclear, electronic and aerodynamic guidance and control systems. The weapons may be smaller and lighter with more advanced sights, but the ranges and rates of fire have changed little.
Mustard gas was not the only example of chemical weaponry used during World War I. The first example of this was the Germans use of a gas called phosgene in mid-1915, which caused drastic damage to the lungs (Mack 2). The Germans began using mustard gas in 1916 and soon both sides began to use poison gas as a weapon. At a lab at American University, which at its peak employed over 1,200 scientists specifically to create chemical weapons for the war, a new gas called Lewisite was developed. Lewisite poisoned its victims through the skin and rendered gas masks useless against it. During the war as many as 50 different gases were used by both sides (Mack 2). When the war e...
Working in the field of Emergency Response I have seen and felt first hand the effects of posttraumatic stress disorder. It is not possible to respond to emergency after emergency and not be subject to some of PTSD’s effects. When I saw this topic in the list I felt compelled to use this opportunity to learn more. My hope is by increasing my knowledge, of a disorder so prevalent in my career field; I can recognize the symptoms in others and myself before there effect becomes devastating.
The images are haunting: men in gas masks rapid firing through dusky vapors, people contorted with a pain that comes from within. It is a common held belief that chemical warfare is a form of modern warfare and the First World War is recognised for introducing this type of combat. Recent archaeological finds show that this may not be the case.
"Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder | Military.com." Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder | Military.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 May 2014.
"Useful Psychology Information: Importance of Mental Health." Importance of Mental Health. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 May 2014.