World+War+1+Weapons

World War 1 was different from previous wars in a number of ways. A major contributor to this new type of warfare was the weapons technology. We'll look at developments in weapons that made a huge difference in this war, like machine guns, tanks and biological weapons.

Poison Gas is a type of biological warfare. It was first in World War 1 by the Germans, but the Allies began using it right after. Both sides used it in considerable amounts. It is now illegal to use it in warfare, though some countries still do.

Poison Gas media type="youtube" key="DTY7v1Q_vnc" height="315" width="420"

Machine guns had been around for a while, with the American Gatling gun being among the first. But by WW1 they had gained a modern form that was tremendously powerful and cut down soldiers by the thousands.

Machine Guns media type="youtube" key="HeycWqxdTVY?fs=1" height="385" width="480"

 Here is some footage about snipers from the time and a little more information.

Snipers media type="youtube" key="xEFPMbkYspo?fs=1" height="385" width="480"

Tanks were invented during this time. The first ones looked like tractors with some armour on them. They gradually evolved into huge vehicles with giant tracks on them. They were able to drive right over trenches and they were large enough for the soldiers to follow behind and get cover from them. They didn't have the large guns on them that they did by WW2, their job was really to allow the soldiers to follow behind and break enemy lines. They were crucial in ending the stalemate that the trench warfare system helped to create.

German Tanks media type="youtube" key="gLrs3TeiJ60?fs=1" height="385" width="480" [|Another World War 1 Tank Video]

Activity 7 marks
1. There were several other weapons used in World War 1 that had never been used before. Research one such weapon. Describe: a) What it was: include it's name and describe the weapon (2 marks) <span style="background-color: #c0c0c0; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">b) What countries used it (2 marks) <span style="background-color: #c0c0c0; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">c) Your personal thoughts about this weapon, such as whether you thought it was effective, fair to use and how you would have felt facing such a weapon in WW1. (3 marks)