Few will deny that the best technological endeavors of man have been directed towards developing weapons of war. Socialists will say it is actually because of the aggressive nature of man, who endeavored most of all to dominate his fellows as a matter of survival. If a man can command others he has a substantial buffer against outside pressures since he can marshal others to face the dangers before he himself has to.
Others may argue, however, that to respond to aggression of people with greater capabilities, those with less capacities must reduce if not eliminate the numerical advantage of the other via superior weapons. This is the essence of Hitler's vergeltungswaffen, the V1 and V2 rockets, and the Messerchmitt262, the first jetfighter ever to fly. Adolf Hitler sought to counter the Allied Powers' superiority in weapons quantity and men through 'miracle weapons' or, more exactly, 'vengeance weapons'.
But the landmark world war weapons are not the rockets, but the tanks. In both World War 1 and World War 2, the tank was the decisive weapon in many battles in various fronts: Africa, Europe, Russia and Poland. With tanks, much territory was captured or great damage inflicted on the enemy that for him retreat was the only option. When the tank was first introduced, for example, in the Battle of the Somme during World War 1, the Germans were caught greatly unaware by the formidable weapon they were forced to give ground. Technology won the day for the Allies at the time.
Thus Germany used the tank as main offensive weapon -along with air attacks--- in their blitzkrieg strategies in World War 2. Tank formations enabled Heinz Guderian's forces to penetrate very deeply into French territory in the first days of the conflict that they would have reached the English Channel had Hitler not stopped him. The German Army Command and Hitler believed Guderian was lying in his combat progress reports and commanded him to stop for verification. Thus, the miracle of Dunkirk came to pass.
In the American Civil War, among the most prominent civil war weapons will be the bayonet. Hand-to-hand- fighting was performed there in significant scale and the bayonet was a decisive weapon for either side. The bayonet eclipsed the sword which was a primarily cavalry weapon, and the repeating rifle which have not come yet in great numbers to play a pivotal role in the conflict. After the musket, the bayonet was the second most effective killing instrument at the time.
Among the medieval weapons, perhaps the most significant weapon -if it may be called so since it is for a defensive purpose--- is the knight's armor. A knight in his armor can kill many largely unprotected yeomanry and duel with a similar knight within a day without himself getting physically damaged ---only tired probably---, and still retire for the night to fight again the next day. He is much protected in his suit of armor that he can confident of surviving every battle, until the English long bow gave him his match.
But that is another weapon for further discussion.
Others may argue, however, that to respond to aggression of people with greater capabilities, those with less capacities must reduce if not eliminate the numerical advantage of the other via superior weapons. This is the essence of Hitler's vergeltungswaffen, the V1 and V2 rockets, and the Messerchmitt262, the first jetfighter ever to fly. Adolf Hitler sought to counter the Allied Powers' superiority in weapons quantity and men through 'miracle weapons' or, more exactly, 'vengeance weapons'.
But the landmark world war weapons are not the rockets, but the tanks. In both World War 1 and World War 2, the tank was the decisive weapon in many battles in various fronts: Africa, Europe, Russia and Poland. With tanks, much territory was captured or great damage inflicted on the enemy that for him retreat was the only option. When the tank was first introduced, for example, in the Battle of the Somme during World War 1, the Germans were caught greatly unaware by the formidable weapon they were forced to give ground. Technology won the day for the Allies at the time.
Thus Germany used the tank as main offensive weapon -along with air attacks--- in their blitzkrieg strategies in World War 2. Tank formations enabled Heinz Guderian's forces to penetrate very deeply into French territory in the first days of the conflict that they would have reached the English Channel had Hitler not stopped him. The German Army Command and Hitler believed Guderian was lying in his combat progress reports and commanded him to stop for verification. Thus, the miracle of Dunkirk came to pass.
In the American Civil War, among the most prominent civil war weapons will be the bayonet. Hand-to-hand- fighting was performed there in significant scale and the bayonet was a decisive weapon for either side. The bayonet eclipsed the sword which was a primarily cavalry weapon, and the repeating rifle which have not come yet in great numbers to play a pivotal role in the conflict. After the musket, the bayonet was the second most effective killing instrument at the time.
Among the medieval weapons, perhaps the most significant weapon -if it may be called so since it is for a defensive purpose--- is the knight's armor. A knight in his armor can kill many largely unprotected yeomanry and duel with a similar knight within a day without himself getting physically damaged ---only tired probably---, and still retire for the night to fight again the next day. He is much protected in his suit of armor that he can confident of surviving every battle, until the English long bow gave him his match.
But that is another weapon for further discussion.
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