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20,000 BCE
When humans first used bow/arrow
The bow and arrow let the person battle in war without face to face conduct. They could fight someone from a distance. -
3000 BCE
When horses were first domesticated
This allowed for faster transportation. This also allowed for more advanced combat so that the people could flee from battles if necessary. -
800 BCE
Invention of gunpowder
This was the basis for every weapon after that. This was a huge discovery for warfare. -
Period: 499 BCE to 449 BCE
Greco Persian Wars
The Greco-Persian Wars were a series of conflicts between the Achaemenid Empire and Greek city-states. Conflict mounted between the Athenians and the allies of Sparta. -
Period: 431 BCE to 404 BCE
The Peloponnesian War
Sparta feared of the growing power and influence of the Athenian Empire. Was an ancient greek war fought by the Delian league led by Athens and the Peloponnesian league led by Sparta. -
400 BCE
The development of the trebuchet
The trebuchet was used to destroy buildings. It was used for destroying castles and such. -
Period: 264 BCE to 146 BCE
Punic Wars
3 wars fought between Rome and Carthage. The Punic Wars was fought to establish control over the strategic islands of Corsica and Sicily. -
Period: 1095 to 1492
Crusades
The crusades were a series of religious wars sanctioned by the Latin Church in the medieval period. There were 9 crusades. There were many winners over the years. -
1180
Invention of longbow
Hit harder and had longer range. You could shoot farther away. -
1326
First handcannon
The handcannon allowed for more firepower and more mobility. It would hit harder and also be easier to handle. -
Period: 1337 to 1453
One Hundred Years War
The royalty dudes were mad that other royal people didn't do what they were supposed to do in England and France. This caused a long war. France eventually won. -
1500
Invention of the flintlock musket
The flintlock musket gave soldiers more power and accuracy than the other weapons. This gave them a better chance of winning the war than any other weapon at the time. -
Period: 1519 to 1521
Spanish Conquest of the Aztec Empire
Spanish conquistadors overthrew the Aztec Empire. Led by Heran Cortes. Cortés helped old enemies of the Aztecs defeat them in one of the most important events in the Spanish colonization of the Americas. -
Development of the first submarine
This was big because it acted as transport and a weapon under the water. The enemy didn't see it coming because they couldn't see the submarine. -
Period: to
Thirty Years War
Fought primarily in Central Europe. The Thirty Years War began as a religious civil war between the Protestants and Roman Catholics in Germany that engaged the Austrian Habsburgs and the German princes. -
Period: to
English Civil War
Between Parliamentarians and Royalists. Caused mainly over England's governance. -
Invention of the Ironclad Warship
These would defeat all of the wooden ships because they were much more durable. They would change history because all of the other ships would be made out of metal. -
Period: to
Napoleonic Wars
The French Revolution was the main reason for the Napoleonic Wars. This was a fight between France and Europe. -
Development of the revolver handgun
Easy to handle, it was faster to shoot. Didn't take a lot to shoot it. Was better for people in the west. -
Period: to
The Taiping Rebellion
Was a civil war in China against the ruling Manchu Qing dynasty. Led by Hong Xiuquan. Estimated 20 million deaths. -
Period: to
The American Civil War
This was a war between the north and the south of the United States. The main cause was the slavery of black people. -
Invention of the Machine gun
Allowed people to shoot a lot faster. This allowed for more shots to be fired and more people to die from it. -
Period: to
Boxer Rebellion
Attempted to drive all foreigners from China. Antiforeign forces won control of the Chinese government and persuaded the Boxers to drop their opposition to the Qing dynasty and unite with it in destroying the foreigners. -
Period: to
World War 1
This war was triggered by the assassination of Franz Ferdinand. The war was fought against the Allies and the Central Powers. -
First fighter aircraft
Added another weapon to the arsenal. Could now fight in the air and drop bombs and stuff from the plane. -
First tank
A moving weapon that could be transported wherever it needed to go. Really durable and shot a huge bullet so that it would make a lot more damage. -
Period: to
Russian Civil War
Tore Russia apart for 3 years. Many groups had formed that opposed Lenin's Bolsheviks, so that is why the war started. -
Period: to
World War 2
The war was fought against the Allies and the Axis. Hitler and the Nazis are what you typically think of when you think of ww2. -
First atomic bomb
This made a huge explosion and gave off a ton of radiation. This made other countries scared and worried about what could happen. -
Period: to
Cold War
No shots were actually fired. It was psychological tension that made everyone anxious. Fought between the US and the Soviet Union. -
The first AK-47
The first AK-47 was very powerful and was very deadly. This was a staple throughout wars. -
First hydrogen bomb
The bomb was huge and could kill lots of people without escape. This was very deadly. -
Period: to
Rwandan Genocide
The genocide took place in the context of the Rwandan Civil War. The latter was made up largely of Tutsi refugees whose families had fled to Uganda. -
Period: to
Second Congo War
The war was started by the trade in conflict materials. There were also lots of other smaller things that drove people against each other. -
Development of the M.O.A.B.
The bomb was massive. It could destroy almost anything in its sight. It was mostly used as a psychological weapon though, so the enemies would quiver with fear at the thought of the MOAB.