Cannons:
Gunpowder allowed for new warfare techniques by being incorporated into a machine called the cannon. Built by the Chinese, the original cannons were made of bronze, and shot iron balls. Years after the Chinese invented them, the cannon reached Europe, the rest of Asia, and the Middle East. To use the cannon, one would first clean it out, then measure the proper amount of gunpowder, and pour the gunpowder into the cannon’s belly. A small scrap of paper would be thrown in, and then the cannon ball. The cannon would be lit from its rear end, and fired. Because cannons were unpredictable in their performance, and were troublesome to maneuver and transport, they were mostly used for attacking castles rather than on the battlefield. Since castles became a major cannon target, many needed desperate repair. Europe’s fortresses were in the worst condition. Because of cannon attacks, architects knew that the old form of fortification, building large walls around cities, would not be sufficient. Polygonal fortification became the most popular new technique.
Polygonal fortification is a system of enclosing a city in sloping walls so that the cannon balls will deflect and not harm the wall or buildings inside of it. This fortification method also placed city walls in a star formation with many protruding points. This made it easier to have full protection by man or protrusions. By having more protection, cities had fewer casualties when attacked.
In Europe, some smaller cities did not have the money to rebuild, and this greatly impacted the size and population of larger cities. People would flock to them, or the smaller city would be engulfed completely by a larger domain. Politics also changed with the cities. The government was condensed, giving leaders of big cities more power.
Handheld Firearms (Guns):
Firearms followed the invention of gunpowder as well. The original firearms followed the same loading principles as the cannons, but only required one person to operate. A weapon requiring only one person that was very powerful and could be used from a distance was new, and military leaders took advantage of this. By having more people able to attack with potent weapons at one time, they were able to strengthen their force. Guns also did not require the same level of training as old military techniques, such as sword fighting and horseback riding. This allowed the military to have more men at the ready, and it was less of a loss when one of them died.
The original firearm was called the Arquebus. It had the same shape as a rifle. It only was effective in shooting, but not stabbing. This limited its uses. The bayonet solved all of these problems. Invented by the French, the bayonet was a piece of sharp metal that attached to the end of a gun. This allowed gunmen to shoot and “swordfight” with their gun. Originally the bayonets were not attached to the guns, so if you wanted to use one, it needed to be put on by hand as your enemy was approaching.
Plate Armor:
The invention of plate armor also allowed for advancement of military strategies. Added to the older chainmail protection, plate armor protected one from bullets, not just arrows and swords. Helping to save the lives of military personnel by using both forms of armor helped them conserve on recruiting time, and spend more time on battle strategy.
Dominating the World with Gunpowder:
Gunpowder was for the most part used in Europe. This put the Americas, Asia, and Africa at a disadvantage. With this power, Europe was able to win more battles and colonize across the world.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunpowder_warfare
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannon
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWWbayonet.htm
http://inventors.about.com/od/militaryhistoryinventions/a/firearms.htm
www.nps.gov
en.wikipedia.org
hometown.aol.com
