New Weapons In The American Civil War

Death, destruction, and mayhem are just a few of the vestiges of the modern war present throughout the American Civil War. Industrialization had a massive influence on the conflict moving it to the boundaries of total war. The American Civil War is the first modern war due to innovations in technology, which led to advances in weaponry, logistics, and communications. The Industrial Revolution allowed for the greatest level of production in human history, which in turn led to the greatest level of destruction known during that time. This military conflict pitted two similar people against each other, but the difference from previous conflicts was not new training techniques, but the armies’ utilization of these innovative technologies.
These rifled cannons could shoot heavier and larger munitions compared to earlier smoothbore versions. One of the key aspects of modern warfare is commanders understanding the importance of superior firepower and utilize these force multipliers on the battlefield to gain advantages. Gen. McClellan fully appreciated the potential for this new weapon of war and expanded Union Artillery by 900 percent. The abilities of artillery would show the amazing killing power of modern ordinance ever changing its place on the battlefield. Now these modern factories were producing new weapons at a rate never seen before, thanks to the industrial revolution to cause death and destruction on a modern scale. Weapon advancements ended the old ways of war due to their killing potential and required military leadership to adapt with modern tactics and
Innovations in communication technology are what let battle action reports and other information to travel faster than ever before. The primary carrier of news was the telegraph; this allowed Generals and government bureaucrats to communicate like never before. Now headquarters and leaders safely behind the lines could command troops without placing themselves in danger, a trend that has continued well into modern times. Another aspect showing that of the modern world is how President Lincoln utilized the War Department’s telegraph office to gain information on the war effort. In addition, newspaper reporters could send news to the home front instantaneously expanding media coverage serving as their version of cable news. This ability to grow lines of communication resulted in more than 15,000 miles of telegraph cables setup to meet the military and civilian needs. In the past, runners carrying letters transmitted news from the front; now the world could get information from the battlefield as it