Industrial warfare

Relative to the Western way of war, the aspects of discipline, innovation, and finance best characterize warfare throughout the age of Napoleon. Placing these concepts within historical context, the continent of Europe experienced an enormous amount of change at the onset of the 19th century in response to the French and Industrial Revolutions. Knox and Murray regard these upheavals as catalysts contributing to the second and third military revolution. And, the new concepts introduced to warfare are labeled Revolutions in Military Affairs (RMAs). Identifying the RMAs associated with the age of Napoleon highlight the aspects of discipline, innovation, and finance and demonstrate they best characterize this time period. For example, multiple RMAs connected to Napoleonic Warfare…

Ernest Jünger’s memoir Storm of Steel details his experiences as a German officer on the Western Front during World War I. Jünger eagerly volunteers for military service and is deployed in 1915 to a reserve unit in Champagne. Throughout the course of the war, Jünger works his way up through the ranks until he becomes an officer. He fought hard, was impressed only by soldiers’ bravery and in the end won an award for his efforts. His first person narrative painfully depicts the harsh realities of…

PAST: The United States Chemical Corps begins its lineage in World War I. During this conflict, trench warfare was the primary means of gaining ground and remaining protected on the war front. In order to combat the long and tiring battles of trench warfare, axis powers began using chemical weapons to draw allied forces out of the trenches or to kill them with the effects of the chemicals themselves. After these types of attacks became more relevant within World War I, the U.S. developed the…

bomber will always get through” even without support of fighter escort; and that the bomber would be able to attack adversaries’ vital centers with high altitude precision bombing turned out to be false. Despite of excessive aerial bombing of vital centers, cities and industrial facilities,…

High and extensive casualties were consequences of a world entrenched in the Industrial Revolution during World War 1. Beginning in 1914, World War 1 introduced new ways to engage in battle. There was a bit of learning curve involved as military leaders on both sides attempted to deal with the rapid changing climate of warfare. I found it interesting that military strategies were not afforded an opportunity for adaption in the midst of these changes. Trench warfare consisted of intricately woven…

The Chemical Warfare Service The lessons learned from the involvement of the United States in World War I would identify the need for a military organization that specialized in Chemical Warfare. The use of chemical weapons was one of the most deadly and effective tactics experienced by both sides during the trench-style warfare. Due to the concern that the chemical weapon strategies of the First World War would continue on in future armed conflicts, the United States Army created the Gas…

Grainne Kieran Strategic bombing since its inception, has evoked a powerful and emotional response and has become a subject of much debate. Throughout history there has been a tendency to regard airpower, specifically strategic bombing , as a revolutionary advance in warfare and a weapon that would push the boundary and create new principles and policies of war. While some scholars see this advance as a positive and advocate strategic bombing for it reduction of cost, manpower and causalities,…

Chemical Warfare: An “Unconvential” threat Throughout the history of war, techniques and use of weapons in warfare have been improved over the years. Although some weapons and certain techniques are entirely new, the use of certain weapons such as Chemical Warfare have been around since WW1. Many have thought of Chemical Weapons as being too dangerous while others think it is necessary and essential to modern warfare. What threats does Chemical warfare pose to soldiers and civilians around the…

1. What were the trenches? Why was the system of the trench employed? Trench warfare is said to have begun in September 1914 but the idea of the trench warfare did not begin then, trenches had been used in the U.S civil war, and the Russian-Japanese war. The trenches were the front lines, the most dangerous places to be. Behind the front lines was a mass supply of many things like training establishment’s stores, workshops, Head-quarters and many other elements that would be needed in a 1918…

1. In determining "how much is enough" in defense expenditures, marginal analysis - looking at the incremental benefit from increased expenditures - is essential. 2. Alternative views of overall defense strategy are important determinants of defense needs. During the Cold War, attention was focused on deterrence; President Reagan initiated the Strategic Defense Initiative; more recently, debate has focused on the desirability of having a two-theatre capability. There is increasing concern…