history of military technology

The social sciences of war, such as economics, law, and the theory of its origins, are also covered in that article. The medieval interest in mechanical contrivances is well illustrated by the development of the mechanical clock, the oldest of which, driven by weights and controlled by a verge, an oscillating arm engaging with a gear wheel, and dated 1386, survives in Salisbury Cathedral, England. Greek vase painting showing a hoplite warrior. Such areas are called military ecospheres. War has a long history that dates back to the dawn of civilization, but armies have come a long way since the spear, or the bow and arrow. The first effective cannon appear to have been made of wrought-iron bars strapped together, but although barrels continued to be made in this way for some purposes, the practice of casting cannon in bronze became widespread. View Academics in History of Military Technology on Academia.edu. Third, and most important, the absolute level of technological development was low. History Of Military Technology. It also made heavy demands on the paper industry, which had been established in Europe since the 12th century but had developed slowly until the invention of printing and the subsequent vogue for the printed word. What is the oldest still-floating commissioned warship in the world? Particularly since World War I, advanced science-based technologies have been viewed as essential elements of a successful military. This article traces the development of military technology by historical period, from prehistory to the 18th century. Armata in Syria. 5.1 By historical period; 5.2 By battlespace; 5.3 By terrain; 5.4 By weapon technology; 5.5 History of military tactics; 5.6 History of military strategy; 6 General military science and technology concepts; 7 Military science and technology scholars; 8 Great military strategists With the appearance of the horse archer in late antiquity, the Eurasian Steppe became a well-defined military ecosphere as well. Military technology, range of weapons, equipment, structures, and vehicles used specifically for the purpose of warfare. The Song period is a good point to take stock of China's military technology. Sea transport was a different story. Gunpowder appeared in western Europe in the mid-13th century, although its formula had been known in East Asia long before that date. Considered by many to be the first military issue pistol, the 1760 flintlock was a smooth-bore.62 caliber pistol. Particularly since World War I, advanced science-based technologies have been viewed as essential elements of a successful military. With human ingenuity bound by the constraints of the human body, both technology and tactics were heavily shaped by geography, climate, and topography. Clocks driven by springs had appeared by the mid-15th century, making it possible to construct more compact mechanisms and preparing the way for the portable clock. The importance of geographic and topographic factors, along with limited means of communication and transportation, meant that separate geographic regions tended to develop unique military technologies. Major shifts in military history have often followed groundbreaking developments in the history of science and technology. Because European methods of warfare ultimately dominated the world, and because the technology of war, with few exceptions, advanced first and fastest in Europe, this article devotes most of its attention to the European military ecosphere. Traditionally, the history of military technology shared the internalist viewpoint, the nuts-and-bolts approach favored by historians of technol- ogy in general. Greater size made necessary the provision of a continuous blast of air, usually from bellows driven by a waterwheel, and the combination increased the internal temperature of the furnace so that the iron became molten. The experience of the ancient Greek hoplite infantrymen is one example of positive influence. From 3500 BC to 1300 AD technology evolved very slowly, and at the end of the period the dominant military forces consisted of armored knights as cavalry, supported by foot soldiers armed with crossbows. It is likely that the bronzesmiths were able to draw on the experience of techniques devised by the bell founders as an important adjunct to medieval church building, as the casting of a large bell posed similar problems of heating a substantial amount of metal and of pouring it into a suitable mold. About that time, however, the Renaissance was beginning in Italy. Updates? First, warfare was central to the history of the period. Here’s everything you need to know about the history of military technology. Roads remained indifferent where they existed at all, and vehicles were clumsy throughout the period. 400,000 B.C. Here the Middle Ages produced a decisive technological achievement: the creation of a reliable oceangoing ship depending entirely on wind power instead of a combination of wind and muscle. Even more significant than the invention of the mechanical clock was the 15th-century invention of printing with movable metal type. The printers found an enormous demand for their product, so that the technique spread rapidly and the printed word became an essential medium of political, social, religious, and scientific communication as well as a convenient means for the dissemination of news and information. Modern military technology is not different in kind, but in degree. The late medieval knight offers an example of the negative influence of technology. For descriptions of the propulsion systems used in military vehicles, ships, aircraft, and missiles, see energy conversion; for the manufacture of explosives, see explosives. Developments were very slow for the first several thousand years, accelerating quickly into the 20th century. Until the late 15th century ce, when advances in transportation technology broke down the barriers between them, the world contained a number of military ecospheres. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). These forces, in turn, are directly affected both by tactics and by technology. So it’s the autoinjector device on which the controversy is hinged. It has been argued that the medieval fascination with clocks reflects an increased sense of the importance of timekeeping in business and elsewhere, but it can be seen with equal justice as representing a new sense of inquiry into the possibilities and practical uses of mechanical devices. Though Japan possessed a distinctive, coherent, and effective military technology, it had little influence on developments elsewhere. Grab a copy of our NEW encyclopedia for Kids! Warspot – military history and technology. Thus, whilst the policy issues associated with the harnessing of science and technology to military purposes, along with the impact of military R&D on the organization of science, were major themes in both chapters, they were addressed in relation to different circumstances. ... the Ruston Proctor Aerial Target became the first pilotless winged aircraft in history. It is clear, however, that this invention drew heavily upon long previous experience with block printing—using a single block to print a design or picture—and on developments in typecasting and ink making. Author of. 3. The boundaries of a military ecosphere might be physical barriers, such as oceans or mountain ranges; they might also be changes in the military topography, that combination of terrain, vegetation, and man-made features that could render a particular technology or tactic effective or ineffective. The first real advances in what we now call “military robotics” started with Nikola Tesla (1856–1943), the pioneer electrical engineer and rival of Thomas Edison. Red Army. The convergence of these improvements in the ships of the later Middle Ages, together with other improvements in construction and equipment—such as better barrels for carrying water, more reliable ropes, sails, and anchors, the availability of navigational charts (first recorded in use on board ship in 1270), and the astrolabe (for measuring the angle of the Sun or a star above the horizon)—lent confidence to adventurous mariners and thus led directly to the voyages of discovery that marked the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the expansion of Europe that has characterized modern times. By 1500 almost 40,000 recorded editions of books had been printed in 14 European countries, with Germany and Italy accounting for two-thirds. Please select which sections you would like to print: While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. A heavy dependence on human muscle was the principal cause and a major effect of this low level of development. The problem of overcoming the diminishing power of the spring as it unwound was solved by the simple compensating mechanism of the fusee—a conical drum on the shaft that permitted the spring to exert an increasing moment, or tendency to increase motion, as its power declined. The intellectual curiosity that led to the foundation of the first universities in the 12th century and applied itself to the recovery of the ancient learning from whatever source it could be obtained was the mainspring also of the technological resourcefulness that encouraged the introduction of the windmill, the improvement and wider application of waterpower, the development of new industrial techniques, the invention of the mechanical clock and gunpowder, the evolution of the sailing ship, and the invention of large-scale printing. Medieval technology mirrored the aspiration of a new and dynamic civilization. Offensive arms harm the enemy, while defensive weapons ward off offensive blows. The U.S. Military: History of Technology and Protection The U.S. military has been around since the early days of the United States. : The atlatl was the predecessor to the bow and arrow, which flung flexible darts at a distance of about 44 yards. The U.S. spends … GPS tracking and microwave technology are just two innovations that have come from military research. Our site is designed to attract interest in the past using the format of popular science articles. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, Social involvement in technological advances, The beginnings—Stone Age technology (to c. 3000, Technological achievements of Greece and Rome (500, The emergence of Western technology (1500–1750), Interactions between society and technology. The military funding of science has had a powerful transformative effect on the practice and products of scientific research since the early 20th century. It traces the technology of land war in that ecosphere from Stone Age weapons to the early guns. 23,000 … It consists of a mixture of carbon, sulfur, and saltpetre, of which the first two were available from charcoal and deposits of volcanic sulfur in Europe, whereas saltpetre had to be crystallized by a noxious process of boiling stable sweepings and other decaying refuse. Bronze, however, was an expensive metal to manufacture in bulk, so that the widespread use of cannon in war had to depend upon improvements in iron-casting techniques. (In this context, Europe includes all of the Mediterranean basin and the watershed of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.) There were several reasons for this. Those ecospheres with the most enduring impact on the technology of war were the European and Chinese. It includes the knowledge required to construct such technology, to employ it in combat, and to repair and replenish it. It must be remembered that from the beginning of the Iron Age until late in the Middle Ages the iron ore smelted in the available furnaces had not been completely converted to its liquid form. https://www.britannica.com/technology/military-technology, The Library of Congress - The Increasing Power of Destruction: Military Technology in World War I. Improved methods of transportation and warfare led to the eventual disappearance of the regional ecospheres and their absorption into the European ecosphere. Few single inventions have had such far-reaching consequences. The rise of Hellenism and the Roman Republic are generally seen as signalling the end of the Iron Age in the mediterranean. We also include duct tape. Intrinsic to this innovation were the invention of gunpowder and the development of techniques for casting metals, especially iron. The principles of radar, and its military applications, are covered in radar. We could start back in 400000BC where there is evidence of humans first using spears, but that’s a little dated considering we are talking about military technology so let’s start a little later. This is particularly clear in the military realm. In the 15th century, however, the development of the blast furnace made possible this fusion, with the result that the molten metal could be poured directly into molds ready to receive it. Mylan acquired a version of this technology, as well as the EpiPen brand, from Merck in 2007. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Books shelved as military-technology: Wired for War: The Robotics Revolution and Conflict in the Twenty-First Century by P.W. Associate Professor of History, Ohio State University, Columbus. Technological innovation was both the cause and the effect of dynamic development. The consolidation of these ingredients into an explosive powder had become an established yet hazardous industry by the close of the Middle Ages. 40,000 to 25,000 B.C.
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