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New Technologies Throughout and just before World War 1
This timeline displays the key technologies created and used during World War one. From weapons to communication devices, technologies played an important role in the war. -
The Anti-aircraft
As outbreak of the war was occurring, people started to realise that it was very difficult to shoot a aircraft out of the sky with just a rifle; in response, creating anti-aircraft. The first were produced by Germans in 1909 before the war even began. Few were made considering the cost to make them was so expensive making it so they had little going into the war. In Britain an Anti-Aircraft Brigade was formed by the Royal Marine Artillery, in which many were created such as the Vickers naval gun -
Henri and Maurice Farman
Henri and Maurice Farman started an aviation company in Boulogne-sur-Seine. This is signifcant to the war because planes played a huge role and these were the first ones created and used. Their two planes were the MF-7 and MF-11 in which were widely used by the Allied forces at the beginning of the war. Image: http://acepilots.com/airplanes/era/1910/maurice-farman-mf7/ -
Submarines
At the Eve of World War one, every navy acquired a submarine however these crafts were small and were questioned of military value. The most compelling exception to the concept of coastal activity was the German Deutschland class of merchant U-boats. These submarines served in a combat role during the latter stages of the war making them significant to the navy and World War One. -
GAS!
During World War one, chlorine gas became very popular in usage. This powerful gas was come by, by the German army to be used against the French. However, French were the first to be recorded of gas usage in the August of 1914. The gas they used was not as deathly as chlorine gas but it acted as an irritant which still worked to their advantage. Seeming as gas masks were not invented yet, soldiers would urinate onto a cloth and put it to their air passages to recover-discovered by Canadians. -
Railroad Guns
In 1915, Fritz Rausenberger had successfully mated several modified naval gun designs with railroad mountings to develop the first in a series of long-range railroad guns. This is significant to WW1 because these were deloyed as part of the enormous artillery forces (over 1,220 guns) arrayed against Verdun. On February 21, 1916 these weapons broadcasted to the German Offensive. -
The Armored Tank
The idea for this form of weapon and transportation was created by Colonel Ernest Swinton. Swinton presented his idea to Winston Churchill, the navy minister and he loved the idea! The tanks had to have a top speed of 4mph on flat ground, be able to make sharp turns at top speed, have a reverse function, be able to climb hills, cross a 8 foot gap, and hold 10 crew, 2 machine guns, and 2 pound guns. The first tank was nicknamed 'Little Willie'.-Believed that once modified, would help tremendously -
Adding Deflector plates to the propeller -- Garros
Roland Garros was a French fighter pilot, whom realised that he would have more luck in dogfights if he were able to fire a machine gun through the propeller. On Apr 1, 1915 Garros tested the deflector plates that were added to the propeller.The Germans noticed his invention and copied it. It was a successful invention during World War One. -
The Flame Thrower
Richard Fiedler was the creator of the various Flame throwers produced in Germany. This is significant to WW1 because these weapons were used to clear enemy soldiers from their front trenches. They first had a range of 25 meters but were later increaded to 40 meters. -
Handley Page Bomber
Frederick Handley Page created the Handley Page Bomber in 1916. In 1918 he had created a four-engine bomber to attack industrial zones. Close to the end of the war, they began using huge bombs that weighed 1650 lbs. The Royal Air force had 258 of these powerful bombers on active service after the Armistice was signed. -
Renault FT-17 Tank
French Canadian Rodolphe Ernst-Metzmaier was the creator of the Renault FT-17 Tank.Ernst happened to create a revolutionary design that set the pattern for all future tanks. This is significant to World War one because tanks are used as a sheild, protection, transportation and as a form of weaponry during the war. The tank helped soldiers greatly. -
Rise of the Modern Propaganda
President Wilson was among the first world leaders to use government sponsored propaganda on a wide scale. When the United States declared war against Germany in 1917, he made the Committee on Public Information (CPI), which represented for the first time that a modern government advertised propaganda on such a large scale! This was significant to WW1 because propaganda was used throughout all communites to encourage and influence citizens to buy victory bonds and join the war. -
The Concrete Lathes
When the United States declared War on Germany, they realised they needed to rev their production engines to make ordnance at the fastest pace possible. An inventor named Lucien Yeomans patented a method for building lathes designed for specific tasks. The process eliminated the need for highly skilled handwork. This is significant to the war because it reduced production time by months and costs by so much that the new machines were considered disposable, & less jobs were offered.
