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10 Weapons That Changed the World

 

 

 

 

Introduction

Everyday, humankind attempts to make their living better through innovations. As a result, great technological advancement has benefited humankind like in medical science and others which have really improved living standards of human existence. However, man has also taken advantage of these innovational developments to achieve other obsessions such as warfare. Weapons have undergone drastic evolution and have been made bigger, sharper, more powerful, and more destructive with a view to either master or retaliate strongly enough against aggressive societies. Basically, the arm race is showing no diminishing sign especially with emergency of Chinese DF-21; a nonnuclear weapon capable of destroying an aircraft carrier, we may then expect a new generation of game-changing weaponry. The top ten weapons have thus managed to change the world and created a new generational forum for subsequent generations.

1)Trebuchet

The trebuchet became best fit for the siege warfare that endured most types of welfares of the time. It had the capability to alter completely impenetrable walls and moats where the besieged sat behind by firing much bigger and more accurate projectiles than the traditional catapults. Previously, it would take months for the wage campaigns against stone citadels and simple hill forts, but the trebuchet was able to completely destabilize the siege warfare as it would destroy a stone wall within days raising the probability of city capturing before any reinforcement is brought to board or their camp is invaded and destroyed by disease.

 

 

2) Mark I “Mother” Tank

The emergency of Mark I ”Mother” tank unveiled the new stage for armored warfare putting to an end the use of trench which had been viably used as a mode of conflict. This new innovation was first deployed in warfare during the World War I even though Leonardo DaVinci had the most famous prototype for a tank. During the World War II, Mark I “Mother” Tank were used by Britain to help them cut across the German trenches as it was much harder to stop than even a horse. Others that had been used as armor in warfare were caterpillars which had a wide terrain coverage, thick armor and heavy firepower.

 

 

3) Hellebore

For hundreds of years humankind have attempted numerous ways of attacking enemies, biological welfare making great relevance in the history of man. Hellebore, a plant with poisonous properties, comes out as the earliest example that was used to poison water sources that made the war defenders too weak to withstand attacks like what happened in the Kirrha siege in 585B.C. other attack strategies used over the centuries were use of diseased people, poisons, and weaponries anthrax which was used recently. Over the centuries, this new weapon has numerously been developed and frequently used with quite ravaging effect.

 

 

 

4) Maxim Machine Gun

The introduction of Maxim Machine Gun resulted to a fully mechanized warfare contrary to the belief that cavalry and infantry combat were still crucial in combat. However, the invention this viable rapid-fire, automatic weapon did not occur until the mid 19^th century when the World War I erupted. This invention ruled out the relevance of cavalry and the Gatling gun which was a less effective weapon while infantry became liable t massive losses. The machine gun was able to bring down attackers with much ease and less resistance resulting to deaths of people of unknown number.

 

 

 

5) Fokker Airplane

Planes became weaponries during the WWI with the Fokker plane emerging first and best fighter plane fitted with machine gun and helped to rule the skies. Even before this invention, technological development was geared towards military pursuits. During then, troop’s movement in the battle was monitored through the help of hot air balloons, zeppelins, and drop bombs while the airplanes conducted the reconnaissance. These were the times when war troops fought to control the seas. However, the Fokker, with the ability to fire through its propeller blades and cause mass destruction thus rendering the naval war archaic and completely outdated as well as naïve to control the seas without taking part in the skies.

 

 

6) Chlorine Gas

Chlorine gas was the first chemical weapon discovered by Fritz Haber-Nobel prize winning scientist during the World War I. It turned out automatically that scientific discoveries were guided towards military improvement and as a result other chemical weapons such as the mustard gas and phosgene emerged. The Geneva Convention later outlawed these chemical weapons due to their devastating effects. However, as a result, Nerve Agents weapons were later developed with equally devastating effects. The fear that such weapons may be used is as widespread as it was in the trenches even though they have been infrequently used in the near past.

 

 

7) The Predator Drone

The Predator Drone brought quite huge contribution in military enhancement. Its main purpose in warfare is reconnaissance and intelligent gathering missions. Interestingly, they require no human engagement and can travel hundreds of miles being controlled from an extremely high security place and are fundamental in impersonal conflicts. The drones have contributed to very successful strategy planning by providing incredibly detailed, accurate and updated information hence greatly minimizing wastage of resources. They have also managed to reduce collateral damage and civilian and military casualties by use surgical strike concept. In some instances, drones have the provision for fitting hellfire missiles which can thoroughly damage the enemy without close involvement.

 

 

8) Harquebus

The Harquebus was the first gun that can fairy be approximated with modern firearms and became so prominent in the 15^th – 16^th centuries. Guns however, take the lead in revolutionary of weapons in the history of humankind. Despite ancient guns faced several challenges such being so heavy, slow to load and liable to explode their efficiency increased and eventually rendered obsolete most traditional weapons where the amour was the ultimate protection. Harquebus became the first gun that could be fired from the shoulder with the ability to pierce armor at short ranges, thus gaining its prominence of the time. Unfortunately, traditional projectile weapons could not go beyond the armor.

 

 

 

9) Atomic bomb

The Atomic Bomb is the most powerful weapon that led the transition of warfare into the atomic age. Its magnitude is so devastating that it claimed approximately 200,000 human lives only on two occasions that it was deployed. This automatically became the moment when the world changed. Atomic bomb attracted diplomatic and military interventions strategies since then because it’s so powerful that it cannot be compared to conventional weaponry. The Little boy and the Fat Man, names given to the bombs, changed the world in a way that nobody would have imagined.

 

 

10) Bow and Arrow

 

The bow and arrow is a weapon that was heavily relied upon in the development of great empires. Though the bow and arrow gradually became obsolete in the 16^th century, evidence proves that their use can be dated as early as 12,000 years back. This clearly shows that it the only weapon that has managed its way through several weapon revolutionary in human history. Highly skilled bowmen were heavily relied upon by Ancient Egyptians, in Europe, the composite bow was vital in nomadic invasions, including Magyars, Avars, and Mongols, while in England, longbow was used to express fear and proved decisive in most battles. Basically, the bow and arrow enabled these powerful societies to retain candidacy for top spot.