World War 1
Eric Wagenbrenner
Tanks, Submarines, and Machine Guns...
During World War 1, machine guns, tanks, and submarines were all technological advancements that contributed to the massive amount of deaths there were during the war. The armored machine guns were unquestionably the most deadly technological advancement that was made during World War 1 because of the rapid rate at which the machine gun could fire and because of the amount of bloodshed that it brought to the battlefield. Machine guns were highly lethal because they could fire 600 bullets per minute (10 bullets per second), and it could overpower any soldier that dared to oppose it. This evidence shows the advancement of machine guns and the amount of people they could kill was much more efficient than using simple rifles. Another advancement of technology during World War 1 was the tank. The tank was a giant war machine that blew everything up and they were armored to the core. They also tore people to shreds and they were the only way across “no man’s land” in the trenches. This evidence demonstrates how tanks were completely efficient and had many characteristics that made it successful during battle such as its thick armor, its mobility, and its giant cannon that could create mass destruction. Additionally, the submarine was an impressive technological advancement during World War 1 and is also referred to as “death underwater.” The submarines were effective because they were extremely difficult to be taken out and they constantly raided and sank supply and passenger ships for Germany. Submarines prevented the trade of ammunition overseas and they sank most warships. Submarines were utilized very effectively by preventing other countries from obtaining ammunition and so this technological advancement gave Germany a huge advantage. All in all, these ideas show evidence of technological advancements in the various types of war machines during World War 1 and proved to be very effective for killing a mass amount of people in a very short amount of time.
Image Of Machine Gun in World War 1
Quote: “The Germans attacked in massed formation, by big columns of five or six hundred men, preceded by two waves of sharpshooters. We had only our rifles and our machine guns....Fortunately the [machine gun nests] succeeded in catching the Boches (German soldiers) on the right. It is absolutely impossible to convey what losses the Germans must suffer in these attacks. Nothing can give an idea of it. Whole ranks are mowed down, and those that follow them suffer the same fate. Under the storm of machine gun, rifle and 75 fire, the German columns were ploughed into furrows of death. Imagine if you can what it would be like to rake water. Those gaps filled up again at once. That is enough to show with what disdain of human life the German attacks are planned and carried out.” - Account of the German Attacks on Le Mort Homme (Verdun), 20-24 May 1916
Caption: This is a quote that describes the German attacks and how the machine guns mowed down multiple waves of Germans. Each wave would be totally demolished by a round of machine gun bullets.
This is a map showing the percentage of the population that were casualties during the war.
This is a casualty chart of the war broken down by belligerent country as a percentage of total deaths.