And After 1914-1925 Introduction

And After 1914-1925 Introduction

We left the war at the end of 1914. Since the Allies and the Germans are failing to outflank each other in Flanders, they are now dug in their "trenches" along that 400 mile line from the English channel to the Swiss frontier. Obviously the war won't be over anytime soon. It has been more than half a century since the last major European war and no one seems to have noticed that the nature and fabric of war has changed significantly since them. Europe apparently didn't notice the U.S. Civil War, which marked the beginning of modern total warfare with mass armies and the employment of total resources on both sides.

The Industrial Revolution led to a technological leap in weapons of war as well as commercial products. In Germany, Alfred Krupp* (1812-87), known as the "cannon king," has left his The Industrial Revolution led to a technological leap in weapons of war as well as commercial products. In Germany, Alfred Krupp* (1812-87), known as the "cannon king," has left his

The trench warfare becomes necessary to protect troops from the machine gun [Around 1900

a whole bunch of new automatic weapons were introduced. The heavy "Gatling" gun, used in the U.S. Civil War, has become a more modern, rapid-fire, machine gun.] which reaches its full potential in this war. Other rapid-fire small arms, like the revolver and magazine-loading rifle, have been around for thirty years, or so, but this is the first large war in which they are standard issue for armies.

There is enormously improved artillery [breech-loaded, rifled and shell-firing.] These heavy guns are long-range and many are field-artillery, capable of rapid mobility on rail cars, pulled behind trucks and self-propelled.

The tank comes into use only near the end of the war, essentially as a means of bridging the trenches and enabling the infantry to move up with the protection of this mobile artillery piece, protected by heavy armor. This little military advancement will turn up as one of the dominant features of the next war.

Naval power is awesome, particularly since it now includes the submarine [The first one invented for combat use was in 1776, by an American, David Bushnell but it has been vastly improved over the years. The U.S. Navy's E-boat, American diesel-engine, went into service in 1912.] The submarine is being used extensively by both sides, but, it is the German 2000- ton U-boats that inflict heavy damage on Allied shipping.

Air power is showing up for the first time in two forms: The dirigible (or airship) is available in two forms, the non-rigid (blimp) and the rigid. The

first successful power-driven airship had been built by the French inventor, Henry Giffard, in 1852, but the German, Count Ferdinand von Zepplin* (1838-1917) invented the first rigid airship, completed in 1900 and, by 1906, he produced one that could travel at 30 m.p.h. In this war these are used militarily for dropping bombs as well as providing observation platforms for directing ground action.

The airplane has improved so much that this war makes use of the modern air force for the first time. The number of planes involved is small (by later standards) but they are very effective in terrorizing ground troops as fast-moving firing platforms, equipped with machine guns, and capable of dropping bombs (in a rather inaccurate and primitive way.) The use of airplanes for reconnaissance and spotting for artillery also contributes to bigger and better warfare for both sides.

The most sinister technological advance used in warfare shows up in chemical warfare. A German chemist named Fritz Haber* (1868-1934) directs Germany's chemical warfare activities, including the introduction of poison gas (chlorine and mustard gas.) Since, once gas is released, the gas clouds move with air flow, heavy casualties are inflicted on both sides.

What with one thing and another, this is going to be a very sticky period in world affairs. Everybody's ideas of almost everything will undergo complete change and the key terms for this period are the German words, angst* (a feeling of anxiety, dread and anguish) and What with one thing and another, this is going to be a very sticky period in world affairs. Everybody's ideas of almost everything will undergo complete change and the key terms for this period are the German words, angst* (a feeling of anxiety, dread and anguish) and