It seems that throughout history, modern and ancient, the greatest efforts expended by man have been directed towards the development of war weapons. Socialists will say it is actually because of the aggressive nature of man, who endeavored most of all to dominate his fellows as a matter of survival. He who can command others has the least chance of expiring through extraordinary methods because he has more means at his disposal, including human lives.
Humanists will say, on the other hand, that it is in reaction to the aggression of people with greater means, the lesser ones trying to blunt, if not neutralize, the superiority of the enemy in say, number of weapons, via a superior weapon. This is the essence of Hitler's vergeltungswaffen, the V1 and V2 rockets, and the Messerchmitt262, the first jetfighter ever to fly. Hitler may have sought to equalize the Allies' superiority in quantity of arms by creating better weapons which he called 'weapons of vengeance'.
But the landmark world war weapons are not the rockets, but the tanks. In both World War 1 and World War 2, the tank was the decisive weapon in many battles in various fronts: Africa, Europe, Russia and Poland. With tanks, much territory was captured or great damage inflicted on the enemy that for him retreat was the only option. The introduction of the first tanks in the Battle of the Somme caused so much consternation on the Germans they were forced to give up so much ground. Technology won the day for the Allies at the time.
Thus Germany used the tank as main offensive weapon -along with air attacks--- in their blitzkrieg strategies in World War 2. Heinz Guderian's panzer-led spearheads were so successful in France in the first days of World War 2 that even Hitler thought Guderian was lying when Guderian said they were nearing the English Channel. Hitler and his generals believed Guderian was exaggerating his successes, and ordered him to stop in his tracks. So the British Army was saved at Dunkirk.
In the American Civil War, among the most prominent civil war weapons will be the bayonet. Although it has been used before in many conflicts, it came to effective use during the American Civil War, when both sides fought hand-to-hand combat in substantive numbers with it. The bayonet eclipsed the sword which was a primarily cavalry weapon, and the repeating rifle which have not come yet in great numbers to play a pivotal role in the conflict. After the musket, the bayonet was the second most effective killing instrument at the time.
Among the medieval weapons, perhaps the most significant weapon -if it may be called so since it is for a defensive purpose--- is the knight's armor. A knight in his armor can kill many largely unprotected yeomanry and duel with a similar knight within a day without himself getting physically damaged ---only tired probably---, and still retire for the night to fight again the next day. He is much protected in his suit of armor that he can confident of surviving every battle, until the English long bow gave him his match.
But that is another weapon for further discussion.
Humanists will say, on the other hand, that it is in reaction to the aggression of people with greater means, the lesser ones trying to blunt, if not neutralize, the superiority of the enemy in say, number of weapons, via a superior weapon. This is the essence of Hitler's vergeltungswaffen, the V1 and V2 rockets, and the Messerchmitt262, the first jetfighter ever to fly. Hitler may have sought to equalize the Allies' superiority in quantity of arms by creating better weapons which he called 'weapons of vengeance'.
But the landmark world war weapons are not the rockets, but the tanks. In both World War 1 and World War 2, the tank was the decisive weapon in many battles in various fronts: Africa, Europe, Russia and Poland. With tanks, much territory was captured or great damage inflicted on the enemy that for him retreat was the only option. The introduction of the first tanks in the Battle of the Somme caused so much consternation on the Germans they were forced to give up so much ground. Technology won the day for the Allies at the time.
Thus Germany used the tank as main offensive weapon -along with air attacks--- in their blitzkrieg strategies in World War 2. Heinz Guderian's panzer-led spearheads were so successful in France in the first days of World War 2 that even Hitler thought Guderian was lying when Guderian said they were nearing the English Channel. Hitler and his generals believed Guderian was exaggerating his successes, and ordered him to stop in his tracks. So the British Army was saved at Dunkirk.
In the American Civil War, among the most prominent civil war weapons will be the bayonet. Although it has been used before in many conflicts, it came to effective use during the American Civil War, when both sides fought hand-to-hand combat in substantive numbers with it. The bayonet eclipsed the sword which was a primarily cavalry weapon, and the repeating rifle which have not come yet in great numbers to play a pivotal role in the conflict. After the musket, the bayonet was the second most effective killing instrument at the time.
Among the medieval weapons, perhaps the most significant weapon -if it may be called so since it is for a defensive purpose--- is the knight's armor. A knight in his armor can kill many largely unprotected yeomanry and duel with a similar knight within a day without himself getting physically damaged ---only tired probably---, and still retire for the night to fight again the next day. He is much protected in his suit of armor that he can confident of surviving every battle, until the English long bow gave him his match.
But that is another weapon for further discussion.
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More info about Civil War Guns, or about Breastplates you can find at gunsandswords.com
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