Humans have paved their way towards becoming dominant figures within the animal kingdom through the use of tools. Such tools have enabled humans to perform operations in a more effective manner. Therefore, technological boundaries are constantly broken with innovative ideas and inventions. The Industrial Revolution marked an era within history that is recognized as a time of great pioneering inventions and methods of production. Unfortunately, there was constant technological pressure to defeat the opposing force in World War I during this period in time. Some may argue that the pleasure to become superior in comparison to the enemy power “exposed the dark side of the industrial revolution” (Modern Marvels- World War I Tech). Thus, the innovative products developed within the industrial revolution seem to have been targeted for the sole purpose of providing an advantage for both Axis and Allied powers. All in all, the technological advances of the industrial revolution truly seemed to provide an influence over the outcome of World War I.
First of all, the war created an urge to develop weaponry which could eliminate the number of troops assigned to the battle field. Military forces were soon satisfied with the effectiveness provided by the innovative machine gun. In fact, some argue 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). Although many inventors participated in the development of this particular weapon, Hiram Maxim was credited for perfecting the invention by creating a means for the gun to operate automatically with the pull of a trigger. Which such improvements, the weapon “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 destructive nature of the machine gun provided a great advantage to powers that were privileged with its possession. These guns were constantly used during strategic military operations in association with other weaponry such as artillery. With the use of artillery, military works were capable of bombarding enemy trenches, which would separate troops from their assigned platoon. After doing so, the troops faced the danger posed by the rapid fire of the machine gun. The machine gun also appears to have altered the size of assigned troops to a battle field and death toll in comparison to past wars. In fact, “more casualties resulted in a single battle of World War I than the casualties of both sides of the American Civil War” (Modern Marvels- World War I Tech). Additionally, soldiers were able to claim many lives amongst their enemy’s troops with ease. Therefore, the rate at which opposing forces faced destruction increased. As a result, the demand of troops within a single battlefield appeared to have decreases. In turn, many were spared from the exposure to disease, death, and other brutal elements of war within the forces that possessed such fire power. On the other hand, mass destruction was granted to militaries that did not have such power at their disposal. All in all, the machine gun seems to have altered the amount of damage expected from a typical military standoff.
Additionally, World War I called for contemporary technological developments in addition to improvements to already existing forms of weaponry. For the first time, airplanes were armored and set into battle or provided supply assistance. This particular fact seems overwhelmingly remarkable considering that airplanes were developed approximately only ten years before the start of the war. However, such armored planes revolutionized methods of conducting warfare. Unlike battles fought prior to the incorporation of airplanes into military tactics, battles were no longer limited strictly to land. Dog fights were quite common in the sky of warfare. In order to surpass the opposing enemy, military weapon developers strived to create the most effective armor and weaponry attached to such war planes. Upon further development, airplanes were assisted with machine guns, bombs, chemical canisters, and other lethal agents. Such destructive elements posed a threat among troops and civilians of conflicting forces. The threat of danger was also magnified by the fact that airplanes provided greater opportunities of executing a surprise attack. Therefore, airplanes redefined the typical procedures of conducting war.
Furthermore, the environment of the war posed a demand for a vehicle that could overcome the dangers associated with trenches. A major concern for military forces was a possible method of providing troops with essential supplies. An English officer, Ernest D. Swinton, proposed an idea that would revolutionize warfare forever. Inspired by the idea of incorporating armor onto a caterpillar tractor, Swinton suggested the model to the British Committee of Imperial Defense. Soon after, Winston S. Churchill took great interest in the development of such an innovative armored vehicle. With his involvement, the tank prospered from being a simple idea to becoming a beneficial weapon incorporated in military operations executed commonly by the Allies force. Some even go as far as argueing that “[c]ompared to other weaponary, the tank was the most rapidly developed weapon system in the history of warfare” (History of Tanks 1). With this revolutionary development, the transportation of supplies across No Man’s Land was simplified. After realizing the benefits provided by tanks after their defeat in the Battle of Cambrai, Germans strived to provide their military with such benefits. However, a dramatic shortage of materials prevented them from suppressing such British advantages.
In conclusion, the tank was developed as a result of the dangers posed by trenches. By being able to withstand the dangers of trenches, tanks have revolutionized transportation of supplies. Therefore, such assistance has a dramatic influence on the result of the war.
In addiction to the changes created in the methods of conducting war within revolutionary settings such as the sky, developments of technology allowed inventors to incorporate aquatic terrain into warfare. Some argue that “the development of the submarine was the most important technological advancement made in World War I” (Modern Marvels- World War I Tech). Such an argument is proposed due to the idea that the submarine appears to have paved the way for Germany’s eventual downfall in the war. German forces incorporated submarines into a strategic military tactic which involved the destruction of supply ships that were set to aid their enemies. In fact, the Germans were so successful with this strategy that they almost succeeded in stripping their enemies of supplies. As they continued to destroy enemy supply ships, German forces began the destruction of ships provided by the United States. After sinking the Lusitania, the United States became involved in the war due to German unrestricted submarine warfare. As a result, German crumbled under the limitless resources provided to the Allies by the United States. Therefore, this particular invention is credited to determining the outcome of the war.
Tools have enabled humans to reach dominance over other forms of life within the animal kingdom. However, humans posses a tendency which involves the drive to further surpass individuals of their own species. World War I is a great example of this particular idea. Opposing military forces strived to surpass the technological advancements created by their enemies. During the war, many nations experienced an industrial revolution, which create innovative products and methods of manufacturing such products. Accompanied by the pressure to gain technological dominance in the war, the technological developments created during World War I truly played a critical role in determining the conclusion of the war.
