How Did Gunpowder Revolutionize The World Of Warfare
Revolutionizing the World of Warfare Through deserts of Afghanistan to the foothills of China, one simple invention revolutionized planet Earth. Over 1,000 years ago the Cchinese invented an explosive chemical that would one day change the world. Gunpowder first began as three main chemicals: charcoal, sulfur, and potassium nitrate. All three chemicals, charcoal, sulfur, and potassium nitrate, would create make a chemical reaction that could have the potential to cause a massive devastation. The Chinese first started using gunpowder for fireworks and entertainment purposes, but little did they know that they were holding the future of warfare in their hands. In ancient RomeBack in the ancient Roman times, the soldiers used spears and other sharp objects to fight with. The ancient Rromans would often line up face-to- by face and throw these non- explosive weapons at the oppositionother opponent. The technique that the ancient
…show more content…
Rromans used to fight was often ineffective. Once the Cchinese invented the first explosive weapon, the world of warfare was dramastically changed. FromTo what started out as a quite unsafe chemical firing large stones to fastforwarding into the twenty first century where there are fully automatic weapons that can kill massive groups of people with one click of the trigger, gunpowder has been revolutionary.
According to “How Gunpowder was Invented,” the first ever weapons that were created using gunpowder were bamboo tubes filled with gunpowder. The bamboo tubes were then tied to arrows and shot from bows. “The noise and fire terrified both the enemy and their horses and proved to be an effective weapon.” (“Gunpowder.” paragraph 5. Antiquity Now.) These advanced weapons for the time were later called flying fire. Gunpowder was known long before the English friar Roger Bacon and the German monk Berthold Schwartz made their successful experiments with "villainous saltpetre," and it was first used in more than one country and with many varieties of composition, not indeed for sending bullets and balls flying through the air, but for mere fireworks, and later as an incendiary
substance. After the “flying fire as invented, the Song Military invented the “fire lance.” The “fire lance was an open tube that was filled with gunpowder. The tube was then fastened to a spear or a lance. During war or attacks, the soldiers would ignite the tube and throw the spear or lance at the opponent. When the weapon made contact with the target, the gunpowder in the weapon would explode. This weapon used both the new Cchinese invention, the “flying fire,” and the ancient Rroman warfare techniques. In 1364 the first true gun was designed and manufactured. The gun was fired by lighting a wick and then the bullet was shot out of the barrel. The bullet consisted of led alloy and was the most advanced weapon of warfare in its time period. In the late 1300’s, handguns started becoming more and more popular in Europe. Guns started becoming used not only in war, but it was also used for survival. Before guns were invented the big game hunters would have to use spears to kill the animals. Once firearms were invented many big game hunters made a switch from previous weaponswere attracted to them. According to “The Age Of Gunpowder”, Global Security, “Starting in the 1550s, warfare increased throughout East Asia, and military innovation accelerated. Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans mastered the manufacture of European cannons and muskets, improving them and deploying them with advanced tactics, such as the famous musketry volley technique, which, as we’ll see, was probably first used not in Europe or Japan or the Ottoman Empire, as scholars have suggested, but in China.” Throughout the 1700’s the British military used black powder rifles to fight with other countries. WhenIn 1776 the American Revolution broke out in 1776, t. The 13 colonies fought the British military using black powder rifles. Throughout the 1800’s guns started to advance and become better qualityand better. Companies started developing bigger and better weapons. A company called Winchester produced its first high powered rifle in 1873. Winchester became well known for its low good priced rifles, but at the same time the quality of the rifles was also seen as phenomenal. In 1903, the company Winchester set a new milestone. The company introduced the first automatic rifle, which . The rifle would one day change the world. In 1875 nNewer explosives started to be introduced, such as dynamite.. Dynamite was introduced to the world. Dynamite was used not only for war tactics, but for construction and mining. “It was more powerful and even a little safer than the dynamite he had invented nine years earlier. The addition of ammonium nitrate to dynamite further decreased the chances of accidental explosions. It also made it cheaper to manufacture.” (Explosives, Science Jnrak). “These and other inventions made Nobel very wealthy. Although the explosives he developed and manufactured were used for peaceful purposes, they also greatly increased the destructiveness of warfare. When he died, Nobel used the fortune he made from dynamite and other inventions to establish the Nobel prizes, which were originally awarded for significant accomplishment in the areas of medicine, chemistry, physics, and peace.” (Explosives, Science Jnrak). On July 28, 1914 major countries entered the largest war that had been fought yetthe world entered one of the largest wars that has ever been fought. World War I had some of the largest explosives that mankind had ever seen. Cannons were shot off left and right and high powered rifles killed more than 17 million people. During this time gunpowder was essential to winning the war for both sides. In 2001 the United States Of America declared war against Afghanistan, with intentions to diminish the and the terrorist group of Aal Qqaeda. U.S. troops in Aafghanistan struggled to stay alive with Aal Qqaeda having a large numerous amount of explosives with the power tothat could end many lives in just seconds. TThe terrorists groups engineered bomb- like explosives called improvised explosive device, or IED’s. The devices were loaded with military grade explosives, scraps of metal, gunpowder, and more. The devices are buried underground, so when a military vehicle drives by it is set off. The devices are able to can blow up entire humvees and tanks. During the war in Afghanistan, mMany soldiers were killed on site immediately after the devices were set off. Bombs have advanced greatly since the first bomb was invented in the early 1300’s. When the first bomb was introduced it was a very simple design. It was a very explosive device that was jam- packed with gunpowder and other explosives. Over the centuriesyears bombs have been usedwere used in wars. In the mid 1900’s, atomic bombs were introduced. Atomic bombs were used in World War II to defeat Hitler and the Nazis. Over the past 1,000one thousand years, gunpowder has revolutionized the world of war. Gunpowder started out with just what the Cchinese thought was a magnificent mixturepotion and something that was beautiful when it was used in the form ofas fireworks. Gunpowder has changed the world dramatically over the past 1,000 years.
Rromans used to fight was often ineffective. Once the Cchinese invented the first explosive weapon, the world of warfare was dramastically changed. FromTo what started out as a quite unsafe chemical firing large stones to fastforwarding into the twenty first century where there are fully automatic weapons that can kill massive groups of people with one click of the trigger, gunpowder has been revolutionary.
According to “How Gunpowder was Invented,” the first ever weapons that were created using gunpowder were bamboo tubes filled with gunpowder. The bamboo tubes were then tied to arrows and shot from bows. “The noise and fire terrified both the enemy and their horses and proved to be an effective weapon.” (“Gunpowder.” paragraph 5. Antiquity Now.) These advanced weapons for the time were later called flying fire. Gunpowder was known long before the English friar Roger Bacon and the German monk Berthold Schwartz made their successful experiments with "villainous saltpetre," and it was first used in more than one country and with many varieties of composition, not indeed for sending bullets and balls flying through the air, but for mere fireworks, and later as an incendiary
substance. After the “flying fire as invented, the Song Military invented the “fire lance.” The “fire lance was an open tube that was filled with gunpowder. The tube was then fastened to a spear or a lance. During war or attacks, the soldiers would ignite the tube and throw the spear or lance at the opponent. When the weapon made contact with the target, the gunpowder in the weapon would explode. This weapon used both the new Cchinese invention, the “flying fire,” and the ancient Rroman warfare techniques. In 1364 the first true gun was designed and manufactured. The gun was fired by lighting a wick and then the bullet was shot out of the barrel. The bullet consisted of led alloy and was the most advanced weapon of warfare in its time period. In the late 1300’s, handguns started becoming more and more popular in Europe. Guns started becoming used not only in war, but it was also used for survival. Before guns were invented the big game hunters would have to use spears to kill the animals. Once firearms were invented many big game hunters made a switch from previous weaponswere attracted to them. According to “The Age Of Gunpowder”, Global Security, “Starting in the 1550s, warfare increased throughout East Asia, and military innovation accelerated. Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans mastered the manufacture of European cannons and muskets, improving them and deploying them with advanced tactics, such as the famous musketry volley technique, which, as we’ll see, was probably first used not in Europe or Japan or the Ottoman Empire, as scholars have suggested, but in China.” Throughout the 1700’s the British military used black powder rifles to fight with other countries. WhenIn 1776 the American Revolution broke out in 1776, t. The 13 colonies fought the British military using black powder rifles. Throughout the 1800’s guns started to advance and become better qualityand better. Companies started developing bigger and better weapons. A company called Winchester produced its first high powered rifle in 1873. Winchester became well known for its low good priced rifles, but at the same time the quality of the rifles was also seen as phenomenal. In 1903, the company Winchester set a new milestone. The company introduced the first automatic rifle, which . The rifle would one day change the world. In 1875 nNewer explosives started to be introduced, such as dynamite.. Dynamite was introduced to the world. Dynamite was used not only for war tactics, but for construction and mining. “It was more powerful and even a little safer than the dynamite he had invented nine years earlier. The addition of ammonium nitrate to dynamite further decreased the chances of accidental explosions. It also made it cheaper to manufacture.” (Explosives, Science Jnrak). “These and other inventions made Nobel very wealthy. Although the explosives he developed and manufactured were used for peaceful purposes, they also greatly increased the destructiveness of warfare. When he died, Nobel used the fortune he made from dynamite and other inventions to establish the Nobel prizes, which were originally awarded for significant accomplishment in the areas of medicine, chemistry, physics, and peace.” (Explosives, Science Jnrak). On July 28, 1914 major countries entered the largest war that had been fought yetthe world entered one of the largest wars that has ever been fought. World War I had some of the largest explosives that mankind had ever seen. Cannons were shot off left and right and high powered rifles killed more than 17 million people. During this time gunpowder was essential to winning the war for both sides. In 2001 the United States Of America declared war against Afghanistan, with intentions to diminish the and the terrorist group of Aal Qqaeda. U.S. troops in Aafghanistan struggled to stay alive with Aal Qqaeda having a large numerous amount of explosives with the power tothat could end many lives in just seconds. TThe terrorists groups engineered bomb- like explosives called improvised explosive device, or IED’s. The devices were loaded with military grade explosives, scraps of metal, gunpowder, and more. The devices are buried underground, so when a military vehicle drives by it is set off. The devices are able to can blow up entire humvees and tanks. During the war in Afghanistan, mMany soldiers were killed on site immediately after the devices were set off. Bombs have advanced greatly since the first bomb was invented in the early 1300’s. When the first bomb was introduced it was a very simple design. It was a very explosive device that was jam- packed with gunpowder and other explosives. Over the centuriesyears bombs have been usedwere used in wars. In the mid 1900’s, atomic bombs were introduced. Atomic bombs were used in World War II to defeat Hitler and the Nazis. Over the past 1,000one thousand years, gunpowder has revolutionized the world of war. Gunpowder started out with just what the Cchinese thought was a magnificent mixturepotion and something that was beautiful when it was used in the form ofas fireworks. Gunpowder has changed the world dramatically over the past 1,000 years.