How did technology impact World War 1?

Answer 1

Technology had a huge impact on World War 1. The invention of barbed wire and the machine gun upped the ante and made warfare much dangerous than it had ever been previously.

Advances in weapons technology (machine guns, poison gas, naval artillery, torpedoes) allowed combatants to kill huge groups of enemies faster than ever before.
The technological advances during the Great War were too numerous to name in one sitting. Entire books have been written on the subject. Here are but a few examples:

1) Machine guns- Although crude variations of the machine gun, such as the 1861 Gatling Gun and the 1885 Maxim gun, had already been invented and used in various engagements worldwide, World War I saw an incredible boost in these types of weaponry, such as water-cooled barrels in the Vickers machine gun.

2) Bolt-action rifles- Due to new advances in rifling technology, as well as the adoption of the modern bullet as opposed to the incredibly inaccurate musket ball, World War I is considered, among other things, the birthplace of the "sniper". Infantry could now eliminate enemy targets from hundreds of yards away with a single, well-placed shot.

3) Artillery- In the beginning of the war, artillery was used the same way cannons and early Howitzers were, firing open-sighted at advancing enemy infantry. The Great War would see the invention of the No. 106 fuse, specifically designed to explode on contact with barbed wire or the ground before the shell hit the earth. The first anti-aircraft guns were also designed out of necessity. Also, indirect counter-battery fire, flash spotting and sound ranging, the creeping barrage, and forward observers were all used for the first time. Finally, factors such as weather, air temperature, and barrel wear could now be accurately measured, making more accurate shots possible.

4) Poison gas- Arguably the most horrifying invention of the war was the progression of poison gas, specifically the invention of Chlorine, mustard and phosgene gas. This developments lead to the invention of the gas mask out of necessity.

5) Aircraft- The Great War is also credited as the birthplace of aerial combat. Early in the war, aircraft was mostly used as intelligence and reconnaissance tools. Later, the Germans invented the interrupter gear, which allowed a mounted machine gun to be fired from the cockpit directly ahead without damaging the propellor. This led to the birth of the fighter plane, as well as aerial combat strategies known as "dogfighting". The Germans would also invent the Zepplin, huge airships designed for long-range bombing runs, which was a huge psychological victory for the Germans.

6) Tanks- Much like aircraft and machine guns, motorized vehicles were still in the early stages at the beginning of the war. Combining the concept of the caterpillar track with the gas-powered internal combustion engine, the British invented the first tanks to attempt to break the stalemate of the war. However, due to their consistant unreliability, tanks had little to no strategic effect on the war, other than a psychological victory.

7) Submarine- Of all of the advance made regarding naval warfare during the Great War, probably the most important is the invention of the German U-boat, the world's first mass-produced military submarine. Diesel-powered while on the surface and battery-powered when submerged, the U-boat fired self-propelled torpedoes that could disable, destroy or sink a merchant ship with a single shot. The most famous incident, the sinking of the HMS Lusitania by the U-boat SM U-20, an incident which helped to convince the United States to become involved in the war.
Technology influnced WW1 in a number of ways: 1. The use to vehicles in stead of animals allowed faster deployment and the use of heavier weaponry, e.g. the howitzer 14cm 2. The use of radios in warfare to send messages faster and more securely allowing commanders on the field to know the situation in a shorter amount of time. 3. The use of mass production instead of hand-made weapons allowed faster production and a more standardised system to allow soldiers to pick up any weapon and know it worked to military standard. 4. The use of machine guns, changed warfare as soldiers could on their own lioterally take on an entire division. 5. The use of armoured vehicles such as tanks and APCs made horses redundant. 6. The usage of artilley to smash apart enemy fortitfications. 7. The use of the worlds first military planes to recon and attack ground troops. 8. The deployment of submarines by the Germans to wreck havoc on the Allied supply lines. 9. The use of code breakers to crack the codes of the enemy, allowing the knowledge of movement. 10. New technology for snipers and other specialised troops to calibrate their weaponry and kill the enemy with better accuracy. 11. The first recorded use of camouflage to hid snipers. 12. The use of binoculars and other site devices to see the enemy from a distance, and the first use of periscopes to safely look above a trench without your head being blown off. 13. The use of radar for the first time to seek enemy and friendly shipping before they come within weapon range. i might of missed alot as WW1 was the first truly technological war.