Time Line: Military Achievements That Changed the Face of War

Throughout history, there have been numerous military technological and ideological advancements that have changed and revolutionalised warfare. But this study focuses strictly on weapons systems. The ChariotThe two-wheeled horse-drawn chariot provided humanity its first concept of personal transport and for more than two thousand years, it was a key military weapon system of war. Chariots originated in Mesopotamia around about 2000 BC. as highly mobile two-wheeled war chariot carrying a driver and an archer. But although Chariots were expensive, clumsy and prone to breakdowns, they were used for centuries. Sailing ShipsThe first sailing ships were Egyptian, (3000 BC), used on the Nile River. Through these early sailing ships, the navy was born. Most notable were the Viking ships called Knorrs (8th to 13th century). The Knorrs were sturdy, long, and slender with a large square sail making them swift and capable of long voyages. By 1200, these Knorrs were used by militaries throughout northern Europe. Sails, ropes, and guns eventually became the main components of this military weapon system. The CannonFirst appearing in the early 14th century in Europe, until the early 17th century, cannons in a battle were immobile and the two-wheeled gun carriage was slow to be developed. It was a shock weapon, most effectively used in mass, and its placement was critical. The battery had to be carefully protected from assault, while its field of fire had to be as open and level as possible. It was the cannon that made the fortresses and castles obsolete. The Machine GunThe “Gatling” gun, named after its inventor Dr. Richard J. Gatling, was the first widely used rapid-fire gun. It had multiple barrels, and thus could offer more sustained fire than the first generation of air-cooled, recoil-operated machine guns. But the first true machine gun was invented in 1881 by Hiram Maxim. The “Maxim gun” used the recoil power of the previously fired bullet to reload rather than being hand-powered, enabling a much higher rate of fire than was possible using earlier designs. Maxim also used water cooling to reduce overheating. The SubmarineThe “Rotterdam Boat,” designed by a Frenchman named De Son in 1653, was probably the first underwater vessel specifically built to attack enemy ships. This 72-foot-long semi-submerged ram was supposed to sneak up unobserved and punch a hole in an enemy ship. Since then, the submarine has revolutionized naval warfare. Submarines of today can carry intercontinental missiles and can cruise submerged for several months. Some 47 nations now operate more than 700 submarines and almost 300 of these ships are nuclear-powered. Ends