World War I: Obstacles To Innovation

World War I (WWI) saw the introduction of some of today’s most remarkable pieces of technology including: machine guns, indirect artillery, air planes, tanks, radios, and more. However, just a few years later, no major army entered World War II (WWII) with the same doctrine and weapons that it had at the end of WWI. The interwar period witnessed tremendous innovations in both technology and doctrine that completely changed warfare. While there were tremendous advances, there was also significant obstacles preventing change. Strategic leaders were faced with the difficult task of assessing and defining their nations future threats. Politicians argued over those assessments and threat definitions while developing spending budgets. Military leaders were faced with the options of adapting new technology and concepts or to maintain the status quo. Each major nation entering WWII was faced with these as well as numerous other unique …show more content…
Strategic understanding is the first major obstacle to innovation that a nation must overcome because it will determine or at least shape how a nation will approach the other two major obstacles. Misinterpreting the strategic environment could take years to fix, that is if the threat doesn’t destroy you first; as was the case of France in 1941. The political will and social factors that drive a nation can impact the timing of when the strategic vision and innovation will happen. Finally, the nation’s military traditions can impact both the timing and effectiveness of the innovations. While effective innovation can face numerous obstacles, the lessons learned from innovating during the interwar period illustrates that the effectiveness begins with strategic understanding, is approved through political will, and implemented through military