War is a destructive force that has been a prominent feature throughout human history. Not only that but it has been a defining feature of the world, changing and shaping how we develop as a race and more often than not changing the course of history itself. A force that strong will have positive and negative effects on all humans both for combatants and civilians. Most wars are limited wars, meaning that when they are fought not all resources are geared towards fighting it by the two warring countries. The opposite of this is total war when all resources and people are used in helping a country to fight a war with the aim of winning: the whole population is mobilised with one aim in mind. Two such wars were fought in the twentieth century
…show more content…
Technology has facilitated globalisation making the world more assessable and even remote places easier to get to. It has advanced weaponry to make it more lethal and portable as well as having the ability for large scale attacks over large areas. Technology advancement and its effect on civilians can best be seen through the creation and development of airplanes and air forces. The first recognisable plane, by today’s standards, was created by the Wright brothers on December the 17th 1903: it was ‘the first powered, heavier-than-air machine to achieve controlled, sustained flight with a pilot aboard.’ The aeroplane was then developed as a tool of war and in 1914, during World War One, they were used mainly for observations on the enemy because of its dangerous and unreliable nature. In the early stages of the First World War, the most important aircraft were airships. German airships, known as Zeppelins, were used to bomb British towns. The first raids were in 1915 and these strategic bombings put civilians directly into the line of fire. Not only did it kill people but it was a form of physiological warfare: it was telling the British public that they could be gotten to, that they weren’t safe even in their own homes. For the first time civilians could experience the fear of war without being on or near the front line. To stop the enemy gaining advantages bigger and better planes were developed to stop reconnaissance trips and so the dogfight was born, first using pistols and rifles but then using fitted machine guns. Soon the Zepplin was replaced with bombers which were more effective because they were harder to shoot out of the sky due to the lack of flammable gas as well as the ability to move fast and evade. During World War two the airforce only gained in its useful ness. It was essential in supporting the navy and army in their operations as
Technology has facilitated globalisation making the world more assessable and even remote places easier to get to. It has advanced weaponry to make it more lethal and portable as well as having the ability for large scale attacks over large areas. Technology advancement and its effect on civilians can best be seen through the creation and development of airplanes and air forces. The first recognisable plane, by today’s standards, was created by the Wright brothers on December the 17th 1903: it was ‘the first powered, heavier-than-air machine to achieve controlled, sustained flight with a pilot aboard.’ The aeroplane was then developed as a tool of war and in 1914, during World War One, they were used mainly for observations on the enemy because of its dangerous and unreliable nature. In the early stages of the First World War, the most important aircraft were airships. German airships, known as Zeppelins, were used to bomb British towns. The first raids were in 1915 and these strategic bombings put civilians directly into the line of fire. Not only did it kill people but it was a form of physiological warfare: it was telling the British public that they could be gotten to, that they weren’t safe even in their own homes. For the first time civilians could experience the fear of war without being on or near the front line. To stop the enemy gaining advantages bigger and better planes were developed to stop reconnaissance trips and so the dogfight was born, first using pistols and rifles but then using fitted machine guns. Soon the Zepplin was replaced with bombers which were more effective because they were harder to shoot out of the sky due to the lack of flammable gas as well as the ability to move fast and evade. During World War two the airforce only gained in its useful ness. It was essential in supporting the navy and army in their operations as