The Influence Of Technology On Warfare

Throughout WWI and WWII there was rapid advancement in machinery, knowledge, and weaponry. This led to a change in people’s lifestyles, style of war, and way of thinking. To what extent did the advancement of technology affect the style of warfare during WWII? During WWI tanks were developed as a means of crossing “No Man’s Land” "These tanks first appeared in battle on Sep. 15, 1915, but it was not a successful debut. All 20 were put out of commission by mechanical problems and a muddy, shell-pocked terrain that was impassable even to tracked vehicles"(Infobase Learning). The tank was not proven to be extremely effective during WWI, so it was put aside. "The years following World War I saw substantial technical refinements, but military …show more content…
After the war ended, the development of aircraft was furthered until WWII began, and all of the new technology was put into use. The Germans combined this new aircraft with the new tanks to create an extremely effective and efficient style of war; blitzkrieg. Blitzkrieg, or lightning war, was when the Germans would attack a target with air force, and then move in with tanks and ground forces to take advantage of the disoriented enemies. This combination of new air and land technology lead to the destruction of many targets, and allowed for rapid military advancement. During the interwar years, and into the second world war, airplane technology began to boom. The NACA, or the National Advisory Council for Aeronautics developed things such as the wind tunnel, allowing for effective development of aircraft. The NACA was also able to develop a system that negated the threat of ice, which would collect on planes and could cause them to crash (Dunbar). As well as new minor developments, one of the most influential aircraft advancements was made during WWII. This is the jet engine, which allowed for extremely fast and efficient travel. The Germans who first flew jet engines were travelling significantly faster than the allied forces were used to, so it made shooting the planes down extremely difficult. New vehicles were not just affecting the war on land and air, it spread to the water …show more content…
In Germany, a scientist named Wernher Von Braun developed the V-2 rocket. This was the first guided missile, and it was extremely destructive. These missiles could be launched from miles away from their target, and do massive damage. Not only were they extremely precise, but they could be guided, so the trajectory could be changed while in midair. This allowed for extreme bombardment of high value targets from miles away (German Rocketry in World War II). This meant that war could be fought from extreme distances, and drastically changed the style of