WORLD WAR I

New Weapons

WORLD WAR I WAS THE FIRST MODERN WAR

● Airplanes, grenades, tanks were used for the first time.

MACHINE GUN

Fires ammunition automatically

Could wipe out waves of attackers, making advancing difficult

Made it difficult to attack and caused many deaths in WWI

HOW DID THE MACHINE GUN CHANGE WARFARE?

● Made horse-mounted cavalry (like in Napoleonic Wars) now obsolete (no longer useful; out of date).

● Could wipe out waves of attackers and so it made it very hard for forces to advance.

● Because it was so difficult to attack, stalemate occurred.

ARTILLERY (MISSILES OR BOMBS)

● Artillery was revolutionized ● The first barrage (a line of artillery shells, firing

continuously) was developed by the British. ● Became standard in supporting infantry attack.

GAS

● Gas was introduced by the Germans but used by both sides

● Caused blindness or severe blisters or death by choking

● Masks protected soldiers from gas.

● Had some horrific effects, but didn’t play a huge role in deciding the war

HOW DID GAS CHANGE WARFARE?

● The number of non-fatal casualties was high (only 3% died form gas, but a lot were injured)

● It was impossible to develop very effective protections against gas attacks, so gas became one of soldiers’ greatest fears.

POISON GAS STATISTICS

Poison Gas Deaths: 1914-1918

Country Non-Fatal Deaths Total

British Empire 180,597 8,109 188,706

France 182,000 8,000 190,000

United States 71,345 1,462 72,807

Italy 55,373 4,627 60,000

Russia 419,340 56,000 475,340

Germany 191,000 9,000 200,000

Austria-Hungary 97,000 3,000 100,000

Others 9,000 1,000 10.000

Total 1,205,655 91,198 1,296,853

TANKS

● Armored combat vehicle, moved on chain tracks to cross many different types of terrain

● Developed in 1916 by the British

● Began to be used in 1917 and only became effective in 1918, at the end of the war

HOW DID TANKS CHANGE WARFARE?

● Basically, it put an end to trench warfare and stalemate. BUT only in 1918 -- at the very end of the war

● Just FYI:

By World War II, the tank had evolved to a fearsome weapon which made the trench obsolete.

SUBMARINE

Introduced by Germans in 1914 (“U-Boat”)

Stealth: difficult to detect, until too late

Torpedo was an underwater missile released by the submarine – used against larger battleships

HOW DID SUBMARINES CHANGE WARFARE?

● Provided a new way to destroy enemy ships carrying important cargo (i.e. men, weapons, and supplies)

● During World War I more than 5,000 Allied ships were sunk by U-boats.

● Unrestricted submarine warfare will get Germany in trouble later in the war. U.S. enters the war when Germans attack a boat with U.S. supplies.

RIFLE

● Not a new weapon, but it was highly improved in WWI

● Main weapon used by soldiers

● Deadly up to 600 yards (1/3 of a mile)

OTHER NEW TECHNOLOGY

Railroad● Move around:

● Reinforcements● Materials● Mobilization

TELEPHONE

● Okay for communicating within your own lines

● What happens when you break through? How do you tell your generals?

AIRPLANES

● Small● Areas of

importance:● Pictures of troop

movements● Duels in the air

● WWI fighter pilots had a life expectancy of less than a year