http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ground/mg.htm
The article, “Machine Gun”, provides a detailed history of one of the most lethal weapons that was incorporated in World War I, the machine gun. Such history describes different models of the weapon as many inventors such as Hiram Maxim, John Browning, and Isaac N. Lewis strived to perfect their creation in order for it to be more reliable and efficient on the battlefield. In addiction to presenting a historical background of the machine gun, the article also depicts the characteristics of the weapon that have revolutionized warfare. Within this particular portrayal of the weapon, an argument is created which expresses the idea that “[o]ne of the most significant revolutions in the nature of the twentieth century warfare was the rapid-firing machine gun” (Machine Gun 1). Appropriate support for this specific idea is implied as credit is given to Hiram Maxim for patenting an elementary model of a fully automatic machine gun. “In the modern automatic machine gun, the loading, firing, extraction and ejecting are all performed automatically by the gun itself, either by the recoil of its barrel, or by a small portion of the gases of explosion being allowed to escape through a minute hole in the barrel near the muzzle” (Machine Gun 2). As the characteristics of the weapon are illustrated, a reader may grasp a better understanding of the extent of the destructive power embedded within the weapon itself. As forces began to incorporate machine guns in their military tactics, a realization of the benefits that the weapon could provide was created. “It provided a high volume of lethal, accurate fire to break up an enemy assault; it has limited effects against lightly armored vehicles; and it may cause crews to button-up and operate with reduced effectiveness” (Machine Gun 2). The machine gun is far more advanced and superior in comparison to rifles used in previous wars as well as World War I. Therefore, it is quite clear that the machine gun truly was a revolutionary marvel of twentieth century warfare. As the first documented developments of the machine gun are described in the text, the motive behind the progression of this category of artillery is mentioned. One of first inventors, Gatling, possessed a strong belief that the fire power and descriptive nature of the weapon would decrease the number of troops assigned to the battlefield. With the use of a machine gun, soldiers were capable of claiming many lives in the opposing force with ease. Therefore, fewer troops were essential in battles. As a result, many were spared from exposure to disease, death, and other brutal elements of war. As the progression in the development of the gun prospered, such results became reality to forces privileged with such fatal weapons. However, another reality came into play as such weapons caused mass destruction among opposing forces that did not have such power at their disposal. Therefore, it is evident that the machine gun also revolutionized the size of a typical military platoon in comparison to previous wars. All in all, enormous amount information supports the argument presented within the text. Therefore, the argument is very persuasive and quite difficult to argue.
The article, “Machine Gun”, provides a detailed history of one of the most lethal weapons that was incorporated in World War I, the machine gun. Such history describes different models of the weapon as many inventors such as Hiram Maxim, John Browning, and Isaac N. Lewis strived to perfect their creation in order for it to be more reliable and efficient on the battlefield. In addiction to presenting a historical background of the machine gun, the article also depicts the characteristics of the weapon that have revolutionized warfare. Within this particular portrayal of the weapon, an argument is created which expresses the idea that “[o]ne of the most significant revolutions in the nature of the twentieth century warfare was the rapid-firing machine gun” (Machine Gun 1). Appropriate support for this specific idea is implied as credit is given to Hiram Maxim for patenting an elementary model of a fully automatic machine gun. “In the modern automatic machine gun, the loading, firing, extraction and ejecting are all performed automatically by the gun itself, either by the recoil of its barrel, or by a small portion of the gases of explosion being allowed to escape through a minute hole in the barrel near the muzzle” (Machine Gun 2). As the characteristics of the weapon are illustrated, a reader may grasp a better understanding of the extent of the destructive power embedded within the weapon itself. As forces began to incorporate machine guns in their military tactics, a realization of the benefits that the weapon could provide was created. “It provided a high volume of lethal, accurate fire to break up an enemy assault; it has limited effects against lightly armored vehicles; and it may cause crews to button-up and operate with reduced effectiveness” (Machine Gun 2). The machine gun is far more advanced and superior in comparison to rifles used in previous wars as well as World War I. Therefore, it is quite clear that the machine gun truly was a revolutionary marvel of twentieth century warfare. As the first documented developments of the machine gun are described in the text, the motive behind the progression of this category of artillery is mentioned. One of first inventors, Gatling, possessed a strong belief that the fire power and descriptive nature of the weapon would decrease the number of troops assigned to the battlefield. With the use of a machine gun, soldiers were capable of claiming many lives in the opposing force with ease. Therefore, fewer troops were essential in battles. As a result, many were spared from exposure to disease, death, and other brutal elements of war. As the progression in the development of the gun prospered, such results became reality to forces privileged with such fatal weapons. However, another reality came into play as such weapons caused mass destruction among opposing forces that did not have such power at their disposal. Therefore, it is evident that the machine gun also revolutionized the size of a typical military platoon in comparison to previous wars. All in all, enormous amount information supports the argument presented within the text. Therefore, the argument is very persuasive and quite difficult to argue.
It appears as though the author does not establish personally ideas that would support a particular force that was engaged in World War I. Instead, the author simply focuses on the historical content that described the origin of the machine gun as well as a description of its characteristics. Therefore, the author did not possess a bias toward either alliance in the war. As a result, the author may be considered as an individual that takes both sides of an argument into consideration. Therefore, a fair perspective relating to the topic of effects of the machine gun in World War I is presented. As a reader questions the credibility of this particular source, one may consider the fact that the text was written by an unidentified author. However, the source appears to be quite credible due to the fact that it is part of GlobalSecurity.org, which is a public policy organization which covers subjects such as fields of defense, weapons of mass destruction, homeland security, and intelligence. Additionally, the website seeks information from experts on the subject matter. Therefore, this source is without a doubt reliable.
Wow...I needed to do a project in Social Studies about technological advansment in WW1 and you guys really helped me out!
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU!!!