How was warfare changed during world war 1?

Answer 1

As with any major war, there were many firsts and many innovations. Perhaps the most dramatic IMO was the German combined arms effort. Of course, combined arms had been around for centuries, but the German combination of mobile armored formations, fast moving infantry, ground support air craft, commandos, artillery, paratroopers, etc. was an immense step up and made the German military the most efficient the world had ever seen. Modern armies such as the US Army are modeled on this concept. At sea the first true submarines were manufactured, again a German innovation. There had been subs before for about 150 years, but they were all really just surface ships that could temporily go under water. These possibly war winning machines had been invented by 1940 but were ignored for production until mid 1944. Also at sea were the massive air craft carrier ships. These were largely the innovations of the Japanese and American fleet commanders. The British had some AC too, but their leadership in the field was lacking as they mainly used their ships for tactical combat. The American/Japanese fleets both used them for the much more important strategic role, where they were used to gain control of vast areas of sea/land areas. They are still used in this capacity today by the Americans. Coming late in the war and only used in one theatre, were the atomic weapons. They obviously did alter the last few weeks of the war's course between Japan and the USA, but otherwise had little effect on the overall course of WWII. It is interesting too the weapons that were not used........IMO the major one being the huge German stockpile of chemical weapons which included about half the world supply including vast amounts of nerve gas. These were never used or even deployed that I know of. The USA also had some of these weapons and had begun stockpiling them in the Italian area in 1944 presumably to be used against German forces. To my knowledge they never were.

Answer 2

The biggies that capture everyone's immediate attention include aviation and armor elements on the ground and the dreadnoughts above and the U-Boats beneath the seas.

Chemical warfare made advances. Biological problems existed. The horse was still being debated but was certainly entering obsolescence as was the bayonet charge. Gallipolli became a milestone in failed amphibious operations. Communications efforts were important on a vast scale and the improvements in Military Medicine was stepping out of the dark ages.

Sub-machine guns and flame throwers were introduced to the modern battlefield. Attention at high levels was given to issues like mail and morale.

Answer 3

A plethora of new weapons were invented that changed both tactical and strategic battle. Many of the developments since the US Civil War were brought together for the first time in mass combat.

The weapons included machine guns (successors to the Gatling gun), poison gas, armored vehicles (tanks), masses of long range artillery, and most importantly the airplane. As seen in some earlier regional conflicts, aircraft could attack well behind enemy lines, scout out enemy troop movements, and carry messages between widely separated commands.

Armies marching in an open field and facing each other in formations, commonly known as "maneuver warfare," gave way to trench warfare. Troops out in the open were too vulnerable to attack. World War I was also the beginning of mechanized warfare.

At sea, armored dreadnoughts were the mightiest of ships, but the newest innovation was the effective use of submarines (U-boats) against both capital ships and against transport ships carrying war materials.

Answer 4

World War I changed the way wars were fought because of the widely known trench warfare. Because troops inside the trenches were much more protected than troops outside, it led to much more prolonged battles.

Answer 5

Prior to WWII, most nations fought wars based upon the pitched battle method of fighting. In World War I, for instance, the major events occurred with large amounts of fighting men facing off against each other. On the Western Front, this occurred over land know as No-man's land (an area of the battle ground that separates the two opposing forces. In WWII new tactics were introduced that put patrols and brigades against each other, often roving the country-side looking for the enemy to engage. In WWI armies literally spent years in the same trenches whereas in WWII the same armies were much more mobile.

Equipment also played a major part in these changes in tactics; the modern Sherman and Panzar/Tigar tanks allowed every effective armour to rove about looking for fights in which to partake. Mobile artillery also changed that nature of war, as did new 4 wheel and 6 wheel drive trucks that could transport men and equipment over muddy terrain that was impossible in WWI.

The introduction of reliable, mass-produced aircraft further changed the tactics of war. Whereas in WWI, aerial bombardment of battlefields and cities was not possible, by WWII massive bombers that could hold hundreds of bombs were introduced as was the policy of carpet bombing (indiscriminate bombing of an area such as a major city [now a war crime]).

The introduction of diesel engines within ships and submarines (U-boats) allowed for a much increased production of shipping from America to Britain.

Of course, the atomic bomb (original U-235 fission type) was made possible along with the massive destruction and vast loss of life that they involved. Fortunately, there have only been two of these weapons used, both by the USA.

Answer 6

Technology has improved a lot, the tank (which was developed at the end of WW1) has made a huge difference to armies. There are new types of weapon, laser, nuclear etc, and trench warfare hardly exists anymore despite the fact that it was the main form of combat in ww1. However this lead to the stalemate of ww1, and each side was equal until the development of the tank on Englands side.

Answer 7

It was easier to kill people