1. Weapons and Their Consequences
Volti Chapter 13

2. Weapons and Their Consequences
Some of our technology has led to human destruction rather than human progress

3. Military Technology in the Ancient World
Many technological changes were inspired toward martial purposes
Metals used to make weapons
First weapons - stones, clubs; then bow and arrow
Horse and Chariot - effective, but not entirely
Horses had to be fed - often hard to do because of limited food
Foot Soldier - carried sword and protected by shield
Catapults were another weapon

4. Military Technology and the Feudal Order
Military technology made few advances in the centuries following the fall of Rome
Sixth Century - new technology - the stirrup - not a weapon but made existing weapons more effective
Fixed warrior firmly to his horse thus giving him more fighting capacity
Feudal system in, by nature, decentralized – the fighting was decentralized as well. Knights fought for individual honor and not necessarily for a formal regime
Horse mounted knight was a symbol of nobility - from this, a culture of chivalry emerged.
Chivalry - chaval (french - horse)

5. New Weapons and The Decline of Feudalism
Knightly combat began to disintegrate when new technology emerged
14th century - the pike (19 feet long, used by Swiss) used to break up knight assaults
Swiss Pikemen became the most feared soldiers in Europe
Longbow (used by Welsh) used to attack knights from afar. Could drive an arrow through several inches of oak
Crossbow also used to challenge knight (crank and ratchet assembly to draw arrow) - cumbersome to reload
Knight had to use heavier armor to withstand attack - this led to decrease mobility
Castles - was a fortress of security
Trebuchet - weapon. A long arm unequally balanced on a fulcrum. One end held projectile, the other was weighted down. When catch was released, projectile flew.

6. The Gunpowder Revolution
The use of gunpowder sealed the fate of feudal weaponry
Fire was also used as a weapon. Perhaps it was the most terrifying of weapons
The invention of gunpowder transformed the nature of warfare
Gunpowder - originated in the east, China. Used medicinally
Introduced in Europe, 14th century
Initially, gunpowder used to fire canons - very ineffective. Trebuchet worked better
Artillery appeared in 1453 (Moslem attackers successfully used cannon to knock down Constantinople)
Iron and bronze gun barrels were developed. Technology improved considerably
First guns had many shortcomings, but by the 16th century became an indispensable component to warfare
Also, the way soldiers fought underwent a transformation
Soldier began to battle in rows - fire weapon then retreat to back row
Also, soldiers had to know how to use the weapons in order for them to be effective
Many soldiers buckled under the pressure of battle
Generals had to institute rigid battle procedures

7. War and the Centralized State
Artillery and firearms expanded the scope of warfare
New forms of warfare greatly increased the cost of military operations
Soldiers had to be trained to use equipment - this required standardization
As standardization in government became more evident so did the standardization of weaponry
Standardization of weaponry was not an easy process. In fact, little change occurred in 18th and 19th centuries
Changing weapons involves a change in a host of other structures
A new cannon will require new cannonballs, auxiliary devices, and retraining
Soldiers often resistant to change, especially regarding something as dangerous as warfare
New developments often have glitches and that is last thing you want when someone Is pointing a cannon at your castle!!!!
Changes were made however
Development of breech loading weapons made loading quicker
New gun powders were developed that were smokeless - so a soldier did not give away his position when he fired

8. Technological Change and the Naval Culture In the Era of the Battleship
Steam powered ships soon became equipped with cannons - this revolutionized naval battle
Previous method of naval battle - ram opposing ship, board vessel, overtake crew through traditional combat
New method - disable or sink ship through use of cannon fire
Also, ships can transport weapons - profit
The mechanization of navy ships indelibly changed the culture of the navy
Navy had tradition that was reduced to rote procedures when technology was introduced

9. Weapons and The Modern World
Conduct of war began to change dramatically
Technological superiority of Western Europe clearly evidenced in the Opium Wars ( )
Cannons of British gunboats battered down Chinese fortresses
By second half of 19th century, military gap between Europe and rest of world grew larger
The most effective weapon of European Imperial advance was the machine gun. Came into being during the colonial wars of late 19th and 20th centuries. Europeans arrogantly thought gun could be used only against "lesser breeds" of man
Europeans realized (especially during WWI) that the machine gun transformed warfare - often with horrific repercussions (England lost 60,000 men during the first day of the Battle of the Somme)

10. Weapons and The Modern World
Submarine transformed navies the way machine gun transformed armies
Firing torpedoes under water broke all traditional rules of naval battle tradition - let prisoners board ship before sinking enemy. Not so with subs
Airplane - wreaked havoc on civilian population
Even before A-Bomb - bombers killed several hundred thousand during WWII
A single air raid on Berlin killed more than 25,000
Despite bombings in WWII - civilian morale never broke down, and analysis shows that bombings did not play a decisive role in winning the war
"Bombing…produced much smaller military results than had been expected"

11. Weapons and The Modern World
Nuclear War has proportions of which all other wars combined pale in comparison
One-megaton bomb can dig a 1,000 ft. wide crater to a depth of 200 feet
"The terrifying power of modern weaponry has eliminated completely the distinction between soldier and civilian that already began to break down early in the 20th century."
Advanced military technology has opened the psychological distance between the warrior and his victims
Battle is much more impersonal
"You press a button and death flies down…How can there be writhing, mangled bodies? How can this air around you be filled with unseen projectiles? It is like listening to a radio account of a battle on the other side of the earth. It is too far away, too separated to hold reality…. In modern war one kills at distance, and in so doing he does not realize that he is killing."