‘Technology determined the nature of WWI’ How valid is this statement?
Technology was a major contributor to the nature of WWI; however there are other aspects that must be considered as well. Technology played a major role in influencing the type of war that was fought between 1914 and 1918, however there were many other aspects of war that influenced the nature in which it was fought. These include the somewhat ‘primitive’ thinking of strategies and warfare of the time. Generals and commanders of the armed forces were still in the same thinking of wars fought two hundred years previous to WWI. This was a particular influencing factor in the nature of war. Innovations made in technology through the industrial revolution also proved to be major influencing factors in the nature of war. There are many factors to consider in order to find what determined the nature of war.
It is imperative to consider that the coming of the Industrial Re
As with the Industrial Revolution, the development of ‘new age’ weapons also played an important role in determining the nature of war. Among important technological developments the war at air began with the development of the Aeroplane, which came into use in 1914. The aeroplane when first used was virtually untested and was considered by army generals to be of little use; however the aeroplane did prove useful in retrieving information of opposing countries forces. The aeroplane was widely used as a source of observation, and very rarely did the aeroplane become involved in heavy combat (except the occasional aerial dogfight between opposing forces). As with the aeroplane, the tank when first used was an under-developed weapon of technology. However by the end of the war the tank proved to be useful in attacks and became a major offensive weapon of the time. Tanks provided the British army with the breakthrough that was considered remarkable on
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