The Effects of Changes in Warfare in World War I

The Effects of Changes in Warfare in World War I - Harleen Grewal

Changes in Technology

At Sea

Submarine

In today's society submarines are used for deep ocean research by scientists. Submarines can now go to depths from 490-730 metres.

Submarines are still used by the navy in many countries. However the technology has developed a lot since WWI. It is safer, can go deeper, and are smaller in comparison to the U-boat Submarines.

First Effect on WW1: Germans used submarines in WWI to sink merchant vessels and battleships from underneath the water. These submarines could go to depths of 200-280 metres.

Sonar

In today's society sonar technology can be used by commercial fishing companies. By using the sound waves to detect where there are fish, it makes them easier to catch.

Similarly to World War I, the navy of many counties still uses sonar technology. However the technology has advanced. It can detect objects that are further away, tell the depth of a body of water, and can also be used for communication at sea.

First Effect on WW1: in 1915 the British were forced to think of anti-submarine tactics thus the sonar. Sonar stands for SOund, NAvigation and Ranging. Paul Langévin invented the first ever "echo location to detect submarines". This made it easier for battleships to avoid being attacked.

Battleships

In today's society, battleships are not used much. The navy discontinued the use of traditional battleships because they are too big, cost too much, and aren't as efficient as aircrafts.

First Effect on WW1: The Dreadnought ships were refined. Their purpose was to do more damage with a smaller ship.

On Ground

Poison Gas

This poison gas led to many other types of chemical warfare being developed. There are harassing agents, incapacitating agents, lethal agents, blood agents, and more. These all stem from the first incident in WW1.

A chemical warfare that many police departments use across the globe is tear gas. There are other, more extreme chemical warfare agents that have been banned from being used by Chemical Weapons Convention. This is because these chemical agents can have a lasting effect for years after they have exploded or set off.

First Effect on WW1: First ever known use was at the Battle of Ypres by the Germans against the French and Canadian troops. Many were harmed due to suffocation and damage to the lungs. This resulted in very pre-mature gas masks.

Military Tank

Tanks are still used in many militaries today. However, the tanks proved to be faulty on jungle and mountain-like terrains. The tanks are best suited for flat areas or desserts. This is one of the main reasons that tanks are not used as much in today's society as they were before.

First Effect on WW1:Was introduced and refined in the middle of WW1. Revolutionized the battlefield because soldiers could not be shot down when they were in the tank. Travelling in the tank was faster than on foot over bumpy terrain. Lastly, the tank could not only travel but also shoot down the enemy troops.

Lewis Machine Gun

The Lewis Machine Gun set off a revolution for other types of light machine guns. Now there are over 100 different types of machine guns around the world

Machine guns changed the way wars were fought forever. They are still commonly used in the military today. There are light machine guns that can be carried and used by a single person (M249), medium machine guns that need two people to operate effectively (M240), and heavy machine guns that are mounted on vehicles and on tripods for defence (the M2 browning).

First Effect on WW1: Increased the speed at which enemy soldiers could be killed. This is because this machine gun didn't need to be reloaded as often. Changed the organization of a battlefield. It was the first machine gun that was light enough to be handled by one person.

In Air

Surveillance

Today all airplanes are equipped with some form of GPS that allows them to know where they are heading. That has come a long way from just using a camera. a GPS allows a pilot to pinpoint exactly where they are and where they want to go.

The Air Force today doesn't use cameras attached to the side of an aircraft. Instead they also use GPS to detect where they are and where they want to go. The Air Force also uses video technology to see what is going on below them in camps.

First Effect on WW1: The British were the first to think of attaching cameras to aircrafts for surveillance. By doing so, the pilot could view everything that was going on below them. This allowed pilots to view camps, see where to land, where their enemy was, etc.

Mobility

Due to the push in technology of mobility near the end of WW1, we use airplanes in society today. After realizing how valuable aircrafts were, the development of planes sped up. Now we can travel where ever we want to just by buying a ticket.

Today the Air Force is valued over any other military branch. There are also many different types of air planes: fighter, bomber, attacker, and etc. Due to advancements in technology, we also have jets. Jets are faster versions of airplanes. The advancements in aircrafts is still continuing as we speak.

First Effect on WW1: During the beginning of WW1 aircrafts were neglected for use of warfare and only used for surveillance. Once planes were equipped with machine guns, engineers began to make airplanes faster and maneuverable.

Ammunition in the Air

Instead of machine guns, the military switched over to using air-to-air missiles in the 1960s. This is because unlike planes in WW1, planes traveled at faster speeds. Since machine guns could not keep up, they were replaced.

First Effect on WW1: Machine Guns were mounted on aircrafts on a tripod-like stand. This allowed the pilot to navigate the plane while also using the machine guns.