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
7 comments:
Hello!
I researched the Qing Dynasty. The Qing Dynasty ruled China during the Early Modern Period, and was ruling China while the Chinese were inventing weapons. The Manchu, who were the Qing leaders, had an excellent military. Before defeating the Ming Dynasty and ruling China, they helped guard China’s borders and protect their troops. During their rule, they strengthened China’s military and helped the Chinese create weapons. Without the Manchu and the Qing Dynasty, cannons and guns may not have been invented until after the Early Modern Period.
-The Qing Dynasty
http://theqingdynasty.blogspot.com
Hello Advanced Weaponry,
My topic is Florence Nightingale. She was a woman who revolutionized nursing during the 1800s. However, her life-long work would not have been possible without the introduction of advanced weaponry. After the Crimean war, Florence Nightingale was appointed by Sidney Herbert to join female nurses with the male doctors in the military hospitals of Turkey. Florence’s appointment was prompted by the harsh criticism of the medical treatment of the British soldiers in the Crimean war. For many years Florence Nightingale lived in Turkey, where she treated countless wounded soldiers. Without advanced weaponry, the Crimean war may not have even happened, which would most likely leave Florence out of the picture. However, if the Crimean war happened without the use of more advanced weaponry, there may not have been as many injured soldiers for Florence Nightingale to treat. There is no way to tell how big of an impact of not having advanced weaponry would have on Florence Nightingale’s career, however I think it would have been a large one.
Hey Advanced Weaponry!
My topic was the Crimean War. Due to the advanced weapons of the 19th century, the Crimean War ended after a long and bloody three years. The weaponry used in the war prolonged the it-- protecting and killing soldiers and innocents on both sides.
Weapons were used in defense as well as offense, thus keeping some people alive whilst killing others. Think of it as a tug-of-war: if one person attacks, the attack-ee will try and "eliminate" the threat through the use of weapons.
If you have any other questions, you can contact me by clicking the link on my name.
-Crimean War
Hey!
I researched the Meiji Restoration. Our subjects don't related directly, but both had to do with power. The weapons developed in the Modern Period determined which countries/continents had power and which did not. In Japan, the original emperor had been overthrown and a there was a new emperor. Many who supported the former emperor became more powerful by joinoing forces, restored emperor Meiji.
~Meiji Restoration
http://meijirest.blogspot.com
Hey
My topic is the Mogul Empire. The Mogul Empire ruled over india. Later the Britsh and the French feuded on Indian soil and eventually Britain took over India. My topic is realted to your because you talked about how the weopons were supplyed to europe and helped europe win many wars and my topic is and example of a place that they took over.
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