In the words of Bertrand Russell, “War does not determine who is right - only who is left.” WWI and WWII were both effective and impactful wars that shook the world to its core, leaving an impression that will last for decades after its end. While both world wars contrast each other in different areas, it is undeniable they also share a number of resemblances to one another in terms of cause and effects, process of war, technology, and end results.
First off, the causes and effects of WWI and WWII. For WWI, the war was initiated due to the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary by a man named Gavrilo Princip, a member of the Serbian nationalist group called the “Black Hand.” Austria-Hungary demanded Serbia arrested …show more content…
The major similarity is that both wars used planes and machine guns. However, technology in the first world war can be described as the “first draft”, since it was the first war where a lot of technology was used. Early airplanes were mainly used for recon and troop searching. They did not have guns, easy to shoot down, and were unable to fly high due to pilots not having enough oxygen high in the air. Machine guns had been around for a while, but these were new and improved. They could shoot faster and had more rounds, but soldiers had to keep the machine guns clean, which was especially hard in a trench, or else they jammed up. WWI is well known for the invention of poisonous gas, such as chlorine gas (which can kill a person, but a gas mask can be used for protection) and mustard gas (causes tiny blisters when comes in contact with skin, especially damp areas). On the other hand, WWII witnessed a great advancement in technology. The devastation of WWI and the awareness of the destructive power of modern technology made the idea of more fighting unbearable. Planes were now more sturdier and used as bombers, fighters, and recon. Battleships had greater range and heavier striking power, and radars were used to track down almost everything. However, the most impressive technology of WWII is the creation of the atomic bomb. Scientists understood that by splitting the atom, they could create an explosion far more powerful than any yet known. In order to end the war quickly, President Harry Truman of the United States decided to use the new weapon against Japan. Two atomic bombs were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. On August 10, Emperor Hirohito of Japan intervened and forced the government to surrender. In the months that followed, many would die from radiation sickness, a deadly aftereffect of exposure to radioactive
First off, the causes and effects of WWI and WWII. For WWI, the war was initiated due to the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary by a man named Gavrilo Princip, a member of the Serbian nationalist group called the “Black Hand.” Austria-Hungary demanded Serbia arrested …show more content…
The major similarity is that both wars used planes and machine guns. However, technology in the first world war can be described as the “first draft”, since it was the first war where a lot of technology was used. Early airplanes were mainly used for recon and troop searching. They did not have guns, easy to shoot down, and were unable to fly high due to pilots not having enough oxygen high in the air. Machine guns had been around for a while, but these were new and improved. They could shoot faster and had more rounds, but soldiers had to keep the machine guns clean, which was especially hard in a trench, or else they jammed up. WWI is well known for the invention of poisonous gas, such as chlorine gas (which can kill a person, but a gas mask can be used for protection) and mustard gas (causes tiny blisters when comes in contact with skin, especially damp areas). On the other hand, WWII witnessed a great advancement in technology. The devastation of WWI and the awareness of the destructive power of modern technology made the idea of more fighting unbearable. Planes were now more sturdier and used as bombers, fighters, and recon. Battleships had greater range and heavier striking power, and radars were used to track down almost everything. However, the most impressive technology of WWII is the creation of the atomic bomb. Scientists understood that by splitting the atom, they could create an explosion far more powerful than any yet known. In order to end the war quickly, President Harry Truman of the United States decided to use the new weapon against Japan. Two atomic bombs were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. On August 10, Emperor Hirohito of Japan intervened and forced the government to surrender. In the months that followed, many would die from radiation sickness, a deadly aftereffect of exposure to radioactive