“The war is going to be won by inventions.”
-British Admirable Jacky Fisher, 1915
Technology influenced the course and outcome of the Great War to a significant extent. It can be defined as machinery and devices developed from scientific knowledge. Technologies used in the war included artillery, toxic gases, tanks, aeroplanes, ships and submarines.
Effective artillery was an obvious prerequisite for both sides’ military before the war commenced. A vast range of firearms were used throughout the war, the most popular rifle being the 75mm French Model 1897. It had a ‘mechanism allowing for successive shots’ without the need for reloading the gun. The majority of casualties endured throughout the war were caused by artillery.
The British were severely outnumbered in the amount of machine guns used in the war. To …show more content…
Artillery influenced the war to a significant extent. In order to seek sanctuary from incoming artillery, trenches were built along the Western Front. The Western Front was engulfed in trench warfare, which prolonged the duration of the war. Toxic gases used in the trenches severely impacted the rising number of casualties and lead to the invention of gas masks, which helped to reduce the death toll once more. Barbed wire defended the trenches, causing the need for a machine powerful enough to penetrate the barbed wire and conquer the trenches, which influenced the invention of the tanks. This technology had the most significant impact on the war, as it became the weapon that ended the stalemate on the Western Front. The air and naval forces had a lesser impact on the war, as it was primarily fought on land. These technologies however, were adapted and improved upon which then played a major role in the impact of World War