Technology Used In WW1
World War One had a significant impact on the world. Not only in economic growth, but technology as well. Let's take a look at the technology used, the pros and
cons of them and the impact that they had on
others.
Machine Guns
Description
○An artillery with fast fire rate
○Used for mowing down
incoming enemies
Cons
○Heated up often
○Wasn’t portable and couldn’t be carried anywhere
○Had to remain stationary(until 1918)
○Needed a 2-3 man team to operate
○Average weight was 47kg(compared to today’s machine guns which weigh half of that)
Pros
○Faster Fire Rate
○Fired more than one bullet
○Reload wasn’t needed all the time
○Capable of mowing down incoming enemies
Submarine
Description
○An underwater vehicle
○Used for attack on
incoming enemy ships
Cons
○Couldn’t carry many supplies
○Were expensive to build
○Was dark and smelly for soldiers(not enough room)
○Had to “resurface to fire torpedoes”
○Only had a limited capacity for torpedoes
Pros
○Effective in carrying supplies
○Could run on either gasoline or diesel
○Diving depth was perfect(30-75 meters)
○Were stealth-boats; detectability was hard
○Were lightweight
○Could last up to 2 months underwater
Airplanes
Description
○Airborne Vehicles
○Used for reconnaissance
○Later on attached with artillery
to use as fighter planes
Cons
○Machine gun needed to be situated properly(couldn't hit propeller)
○The engine was only 50 horsepower
○Pilots had to be careful otherwise they’d get shot down
○Pilots had to be alert 24/7 as enemies also used planes
Pros
○Were the improved versions of zeppelins
○Good for reconnaissance
○Later on, designs had machine guns attached
○Could also be used to drop bombs
Poison Gas
Description
○One of the first chemical weapons
used
○Purpose was to wipe enemy
soldiers
○Considered a long range attack
Cons
○Was bad for the environment
○Limited time to protect yourselves when gas appears
○Needed the wind to point to the enemy’s trenches
○Always a possibly of malfunction
Deaths Per Country
Pros
○Effective in taking down enemies in their trenches
○Risk-free attack for those using it
○Not easily detectable
Tanks
Description
○Vehicle with the wheels of tractors
○Ability to cross No Man's Land
Cons
○Early design tanks needed 4-6 men to operate
○Was rather tiny and cramped
○Reached up to 100 degrees in there(engine was the reason)
○Shell wasn’t that tough and a man could get his flesh cut off
Pros
○Were able to cross the mud and craters in no man’s land
○Could mow down barbed wires
○Later on tanks(such as French tanks) had turrets at the top
Grenades
Description
○Hand-held weapons
○Activated by pulling the cord or
hitting against something hard
○Explodes after a few seconds
Cons
○Improper use could lead to it exploding anytime
○“Left a high number of amputees”
Pros
○Helped clear out trenches
○Considered a mid-range attack
○Soldiers didn’t need to be in front of the enemies
○Dealt a significant amount of damage