How was World War I the first modern war? Describe how the war was fought and the relationship between the battlefield and weaponry. List specific concepts and technologies.

 

How was World War I the first modern war

The loss of life was greater than in any previous war in history, in part because militaries were using new technologies, including tanks, airplanes, submarines, machine guns, modern artillery, flamethrowers, and poison gas. Trenches came to symbolize a new kind of warfare. This meant allies could finally go on the offensive of the ground. Also the first war that involved so many nations around the world.

Describe how the war was fought and the relationship between the battlefield and weaponry

The popular image of World War I is soldiers in muddy trenches and dugouts, living miserably until the next attack. This is basically correct. Technological developments in engineering, metallurgy, chemistry, and optics had produced weapons deadlier than anything known before. The power of defensive weapons made winning the war on the western front all but impossible for either side.

When attacks were ordered, Allied soldiers went "over the top," climbing out of their trenches and crossing no-man's-land to reach enemy trenches. They had to cut through belts of barbed wire before they could use rifles, bayonets, pistols, and hand grenades to capture enemy positions. A victory usually meant they had seized only a few hundred yards of shell-torn earth at a terrible cost in lives. Wounded men often lay helpless in the open until they died. Those lucky enough to be rescued still faced horrible sanitary conditions before they could be taken to proper medical facilities. Between attacks, the snipers, artillery, and poison gas caused misery and death.

List specific concepts and technologies.

Machine gun—Perhaps the most significant technological advance during World War I was the improvement of the machine gun, a weapon originally developed by an American, Hiram Maxim. The Germans recognized its military potential and had large numbers ready to use in 1914

Modern military technology-Use of modern equipment such as boats and poison gas, had major impact throughout the Great War. This type of modern military technology were all U-boats, were German submarines.

Military technology of the time included important innovations in machine guns, grenades, and artillery, along with essentially new weapons such as submarines, poison gas, warplanes and tanks.

Historically, World War 1 was the first war in an industrialized age. New weapons and vehicles were used in this war that had never been used before. WWI was the first and only war in which poison gas was used. The first instance when poison gas was used in the Second Battle of Ypres.

Additionally, Large guns, called artillery, were improved during World War I including anti-aircraft guns to shoot down enemy planes. The majority of the casualties in the war were inflicted using artillery

Consequently, Germans spearheaded the and developed one type of tank which saw combat in the war. The A7V Sturmpanzerwagen . It was designed in 1917 and was used in battle from March 1918. It was manned by a crew of 18, and had eight machine guns and a 57-millimetre cannon. Only 20 A7Vs were produced during the war. 

Flamethrowers- Their true potential was only realized during trench warfare, Unlike grenades, flamethrowers could "neutralize" enemy soldiers in these confined spaces without inflicting structural damage. The flamethrower was first used by German troops near Verdun in February 1915.