Since the dawn of mankind, we have used tools to assist our daily needs. In no time, simple tools became weapons, and throughout our history we have witnessed the evolution of these tools of destruction. From swords to the bow and arrow, and revolvers to atomic bombs, warfare has been an ever-changing industry. Warfare of the Second World War greatly differs from that of World War One. Within the short twenty-five year time period between wars, we see the greatest developments in organized military history; aircrafts create a whole new role in war, land weapons are perfected, and war strategies are heavily altered as a whole new set of battle ideals are set into play, based around the discovery of a devastating new power. The role of aircrafts has greatly changed over the course of the two wars. Prior to and during WWI, airplanes were underdeveloped, made of hardwood and canvas and incapable of flying long distances or carrying any weight. During the early years of the first war, they were used as methods of reconnaissance photographs and to spy on enemy lines. By 1915, the Germans had planes with mounted Fokker machine guns at the front which could effectively fire through the prop, turning the airplane into an offensive weapon. This new innovation gave birth to air combat and “dogfights”. Aviation aces during this time included, Billy Bishop, The Red Baron and Rene Fonck, each with over 70 victories. By 1917, airplanes were proving to play a significant role in warfare as many people realized that control of the skies could change the outcome of the war.“The sky is about to become another battlefield no less important than the battlefields on land and sea.... We had better get accustomed to this idea, and prepare ourselves” ... ... middle of paper ... ...greatly from that of WWI. In less than twenty five years between two of the world`s greatest organised conflicts, human kind has progressed warfare from rifles and trench fights to super powers capable of eradicating us from the planet. From seizing underground dugouts to conquering the skies, seas and cities, World War II forever changed the face of warfare for future generations. Over the course of two wars, we have witnessed the newfound importance of aerial combat, the modernization of army weaponry, and the discovery of new effective ways to carry out war. As Albert Einstein once said upon the detonation of the atomic bomb, “I do not know with what weapons World War III will be fought with, but I do know that World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.” This shows that while our technology advances rapidly, our morals remain the same, primitive.
For as long as most of the world can remember aviation has played a major factor in how wars are fought. Starting in World War I the worlds fighting forces began using aircraft to conduct surveillance missions over enemy territory. While these aircraft were not the masters of stealth that todays aircraft are there was no technology to take down these planes at the time. Air-to-air combat was an event that rarely happened and was almost never effective.
In today’s world, the use of airplanes in wars or in everyday life has become a part of how we live as human beings. Removing the air forces of the world is like taking a step back in time when wars were only fought on land or sea. WWI began only eleven short years after the Wright brothers achieved powered flight in 19031 and yet aircrafts were being used for surveillance and eventually combat purposes. It is understood that these aircrafts were primitive, but they laid down the foundation for what we know today as fighter jets. The Fokker Eindecker “revolutionized air combat by successfully employing a synchronized forward -firing machine gun mounted on the engine cowling”2. Because this airplane became the first to successfully use a synchronized machine gun, it allowed its pilots to become the first aerial combat tactitions3.
World 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.
Armies and Navies have clashed since antiquity, but the airplane that enables aerial combat is barely a century old. Airplanes saw widespread combat in the First World War, and, despite the doubts and financial concerns of military leaders of the time, the brave men who fly them have gained their own dedicated military division, the United States Air Force. Billy Mitchell, through his charisma and an image that endeared him in American culture, was an instrumental figure in developing the modern Air Force.
World War I is marked by its extraordinary brutality and violence due to the technological advancement in the late 18th century and early 19th century that made killing easier, more methodical and inhumane. It was a war that saw a transition from traditional warfare to a “modern” warfare. Calvary charges were replaced with tanks; swords were replaced with machine guns; strategic and decisive battles were r...
Technology played a crucial role in determining the outcome of the World War II. Much of it developed during the interwar years to 1920s and 1930s. However, the developmental changes in technology occurred in early and late 1940s. The customization of technology took place in United States while the soldiers kept on fighting abroad. Weaponry, logistical support, communications, intelligence equipment, medicine and industrial changes were among them. In weaponry, some of the technological upgrades happened in ships, military vehicles, aircraft, artillery, rocketry, and small arms, biological, chemical and nuclea...
Throughout history theorists tried to capture all aspects of warfare, propose new ways and means to apply the conceptions, and even conjecture how best to terminate wars. Carl Von Clausewitz in his masterpiece ‘On War’ conceptualized the nature of war on land and linked relationship between warfare and politics in concise ideals. The visionary theorist Giulio Douhet shifted the view of war in 1921 when he published The Command of the Air, where he introduced war through the concepts of airpower. This essay aims to contrast the theories of Clausewitz’s conception of land warfare with Douhet’s conception of air warfare because the characteristics and environmental end states changed with the introduction of airpower.
During World War II (WW2) the aeroplane proved to be the military’s greatest asset. It was dominant as it was versatile. Unlike the tank, boat or even the foot soldier the planes can serve in all areas of one countries military, land, sea and of course the air. They could fight where ever needed. Not only did they attack in dog fights or bombing raids they could go for a surveillance or reconnaissance to assist their forces. They destroyed many enemies industrial plants and provided many ground combat support.
With the recent innovation of the airplane revolutionizing the battlefields of World War I, American air warriors like 1st Lieutenant Frank Luke Jr. and Captain Eddie Rickenbacker separated themselves through valiant actions that contributed significantly to the American war effort. Yet, the fearless determination to serve and the advances in tactical air warfare influenced by Lt. Luke Jr. greatly outweigh the amount of citations and medals earned by Capt. Rickenbacker setting the prescient for the massive contributions airmen could make in war.
War has been a recurring part of America’s history for the past hundreds of years. From the 1700s to the present, America has gotten into numerous situations and turmoil, which eventually lead to the wars we currently study and know about today. Technological advancements in warfare were necessary and a great obligation during times of war. This was pursued with drastic improvement. From the transformation of the use of smoothbore muskets during the Civil War to the industrial revolution leading to weaponry innovations post civil war, the nature of warfare dramatically changed. These developments proved to be proficient in battle. In the midst of these hundreds of years, while many technological advances demonstrated to be efficient in battle, the machine gun was one of the most significant advancements in technology that changed the face of warfare through its transformation of operations and strategy.
The March Field Air Museum complimented what we read in our textbooks about the importance of planes in World War I. The textbook states, “Planes began to be constructed to serve various functions: bombers fighters (planes that engage in ‘dogfights’ with other planes), and reconnaissance aircraft” (Brinkley 530). In the museum there was a substantial folder that was suppose to represent a manual that soldiers were suppose to read. The manual helped soldiers get a better understanding of planes. Since aircrafts were becoming more critical it was
In this article, an author under the name Warcat talks about how the army started out in war in the early 1900s and how their weapons evolved from then to now. As weapons evolved so did the method of using them. Until the 1900s, soldiers fought in big formations where Generals could mass their troops here they would do the most damage to the enemy. As guns became more common, troops were equipped with them and deployed in several ranks. When the atomic bomb was developed, large militaries again realized the danger of concentration their armies like they once did. Technology has changed the way war is fought. With more widespread and instantaneous media coverage, citizens are quickly informed of world events. With realistic views of what their
Science fiction never ceases to amaze me as I take great enjoyment in exploring these creative universes. I have always had a great interest in military science fiction for its take on technological innovation and critical analysis. Military science fiction in general is very speculative about future of technology and warfare. The military science fiction genre also serves as a critique of contemporary politics as it deals with many of the same issues that go on today. This has made military science fiction one if the most well respected genres of science fiction for it ability to indirectly criticize modern society. My Integrated Project explores the relationship between how technology that has arisen from war has been some of the most innovative and why war has become an unshakeable aspect of human existence.
Many new technologies appeared during World War I, including the machine gun, airplane, tank and barbed wire. It is important to examine the historical circumstances of their development, their introduction onto the battlefront and the effect each had in bringing victory to countries that employed them. It can be categorically said that without giant strides made prior to and during the World War I (914-1918) it would never have taken on titanic proportions that it did. The Perfection of technology in the hands of imperfect man or man-the-beast resulted in the tragedy of World War I. However, during this war, technology advancement that had led to the formation of colonies in countries received a new life and influenced WWI by a great degree.
These kinds of weapons were impractical for military use, but attracted many people to the arms race for weapons that could sweep the battlefield. “They had limitations in practice, among them slow re...