World War I (WWI or WW1), was a global war triggered by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. It was a major, historical war in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and ended on 11 November 1918. HISTORY.com (2015). More than 8 million soldiers killed and 20 million wounded as a result of the war Keith, L. pbs.org (2006) , a casualty rate aggravated by nations ' technological and industrial inventions, accompanied by battle tactics. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in history, making way for essential political changes. As so many deaths and casualties occurred, a question is always raised regarding what caused them. People often believe that the introduction of machine guns was held responsible for all the deaths and casualties
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Weaponry such as Rifles, Machine Guns, Artillery, Poison Gases, etc. were made good use of in WW1. Non land-based battle methods were also used such as battle through Aircraft, Airships, U- Boats and Q-Ships.These fighting methods were used alongside each other by the use of one unique and very effective way to barrier- The Barbed Wire, which literally became a weapon during the war. It trapped clothing and equipment and slowed down attackers, who were made targets for snipers constantly as they spent significant time trying to disentangle themselves. Anderson, M. (2012). World War I. When the machine gun was paired up with the barbed wire, the tactic made walking small distances a risk for the opposing force. The 1917 German troops used a weapon called Mustard Gas in combat. It was known for the slow death it inflicted on its victims. The victims were left with blistered skin and very sore eyes. Internal and external bleeding was also caused continued on with attacks on the bronchial tubes, tearing apart the mucous membrane. Mustard gas was excruciatingly painful and the majority of soldiers were left bedridden. Deaths by infections and disease were one of the most painful ways to die in WW1 and should be taken into respect when mentioning the death statistics of the …show more content…
It can be said that a high number of deaths occurred because of the machine gun, but stating that the machine gun was the sole cause of deaths is a flawed interpretation on the cause of deaths in WW1. New war tactics involving the tactics used in 19th centuries vastly controlled the war however modernised weapons developed in the twentieth century played the biggest role in
Weaponry such as Rifles, Machine Guns, Artillery, Poison Gases, etc. were made good use of in WW1. Non land-based battle methods were also used such as battle through Aircraft, Airships, U- Boats and Q-Ships.These fighting methods were used alongside each other by the use of one unique and very effective way to barrier- The Barbed Wire, which literally became a weapon during the war. It trapped clothing and equipment and slowed down attackers, who were made targets for snipers constantly as they spent significant time trying to disentangle themselves. Anderson, M. (2012). World War I. When the machine gun was paired up with the barbed wire, the tactic made walking small distances a risk for the opposing force. The 1917 German troops used a weapon called Mustard Gas in combat. It was known for the slow death it inflicted on its victims. The victims were left with blistered skin and very sore eyes. Internal and external bleeding was also caused continued on with attacks on the bronchial tubes, tearing apart the mucous membrane. Mustard gas was excruciatingly painful and the majority of soldiers were left bedridden. Deaths by infections and disease were one of the most painful ways to die in WW1 and should be taken into respect when mentioning the death statistics of the …show more content…
It can be said that a high number of deaths occurred because of the machine gun, but stating that the machine gun was the sole cause of deaths is a flawed interpretation on the cause of deaths in WW1. New war tactics involving the tactics used in 19th centuries vastly controlled the war however modernised weapons developed in the twentieth century played the biggest role in