15 Things to Know about World War I and the Military Development

Military parade during World War I. Unknown Author. Wikimedia Commons

15 Things to Know about World War I and the Military Development

Despite having a reputation as a mindless bloodbath with mindless military operations, World War I really saw the single-largest shift in military tactics and technologies during the years 1914–1918. After 1918, hardly any of the traditional battlefield procedures used before 1914 were still relevant. Military operations have undergone a lot of improvements to accounting for the rapid advancements in weapons and technology. So, what came out of World War I was what we now call the Modern Way of Battle. Almost all military developments since 1918 have been small-scale technical enhancements to the effectiveness of the Modern Style of Battle conceptual model. The military revolution that took place during and after World War I is the most important in the history of warfare. That effectively marked the beginning of the Modern Style of Battle.

In this article, we will be taking you through 15 Things to Know about World War I and Military Development.

1. Aviation Was A Relatively New Field At The Start Of World War I

For Revue L’Illustration. Author François Flameng. Wikimedia Commons

Aviation was a relatively new field at the start of World War I; the Wright Brothers had made their first continuous flight only eleven years earlier, in 1903, so warfare was mostly concentrated on the ground with primitive fighting methods. At first, reconnaissance missions were mostly carried out by aircraft, and Pilots’ knowledge was crucial in assisting the allies to take advantage of gaps in the German defenses during the First Battle of the Marne, which helped the Allies drive Germany out of France. Therefore, we can authoritatively say that World War I was the first significant conflict to use aircraft effectively.

Read about the 20 Most Significant Figures Of World War I.

2. There Was A Paradigm Shift From the Use Of Human Strength To Machine Strength

First World War, military, horse, field. Author FOTO: Fortepan — ID 11637: Wikimedia Commons

Previously In wars, there was dominant use of human strength that often led to massive deaths. However, the development during World War I was the switch from using human and animal strength to war to using machine strength. For thousands of years, the horse had ruled the field of war, giving the cavalry speed and mobility as well as draft power for supplies and logistics. Furthermore, although playing a significant part throughout World War I, horses’ days had clearly come to an end by 1918. Of course, the switch to mechanical motive power didn’t happen overnight, but it fully developed during World War I. The internal combustion engine’s development at the end of the 19th century kicked off the transition, which began with the development of the steam engine and railroads.

3. The Transition From Two-Dimensional To Three-Dimensional Warfare

The transition from two-dimensional to three-dimensional warfare was ushered in by the aircraft, which also marked the second major paradigm shift. Battles had previously taken place on two-dimensional planes, however, any high ground occupied on that plane was advantageous to the side occupying it. The ability to control the horizontal space within your weapon’s range was no longer sufficient because airplanes had made the sky itself the new high ground. You also needed to have control over the sky above you in order to prevent deadly aerial attacks. Although the introduction of the submarine there increased the battle space below the surface as much as above it, the challenge of air control also extended to naval combat.

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4. Development Of Aircraft, Long-Range Artillery, and Fire-Control Technologies Widened The Scope Of Attack

Aircraft Artillery. Photo by British Library on Unsplash

The majority of historical wars took place and were determined at the line of contact. Now, rather than just attacking an enemy force along the fortified defenses of its front line, it was possible to attack an enemy force deep in its vulnerable rear areas thanks to the development of aircraft, long-range artillery, and fire-control technologies to engage accurately targets far beyond the line of sight of the gun crews, and target-acquisition technologies capable of accurately locating deep targets. Now, the challenge in combat was to attack the adversary from both his front and his deep rear, while simultaneously defending both your own front and the vital installations in your own rear.

5. Various Armies Embraced Contemporary Technologies

The various armies of the globe embraced contemporary technologies at varying rates in the years between the two world wars. For example, in 1939, the British army became the first fully motorized/mechanized army in history. Although the American army continued to use horses in 1941, by the end of the war it was entirely reliant on internal combustion engines. Even after adopting tanks, the German army as a whole continued to rely extensively on horses into 1945, as did the Soviet army.

6. The U.S. Military Created Two Black Combat Groups in 1917

As the U.S. joined the war and increased its troops, more men were willing to volunteer for their country. The U.S. military went ahead to create two Black combat groups in 1917, the 92nd and 93rd Divisions. This was in response to complaints from the Black community and civil rights organizations regarding its quotas and treatment of African American soldiers in the war effort. Machine guns, tanks, aerial combat, and radio communications were widely adopted during World War I, but chemical weapons were prohibited due to the 1925 Geneva Convention agreements.

7. Two Significant Technology Advances Changed The Foundation Of Warfare Strategy

Without a doubt, the first high-tech war in human history was World War I. It “constituted the most rapid period of technological development in history,” as James Corum put it.  Between 1830 and 1910, two significant technological advances permanently changed the foundation of warfare strategy. Breech-loading, rifled rifles with greater shooting rates and accuracy were introduced in the first wave. The internal combustion engine, repeating rifles, machine guns, rapid-firing artillery, and smokeless powder were all introduced in the second wave.

During World War I, all of these alterations came together to produce a technological perfect storm. Coordination between the different arms (infantry, cavalry, artillery, etc.) became essential for victory on the battlefield as a result of the new technology, which drastically enhanced the tempo and lethality of combat operations.

8. Battlefield Warfare

The majority of the world’s armies had tactical doctrines at the outset of the conflict that was focused on combat operations that included broad sweeping maneuvers and face-to-face encounters. Although neither side anticipated or prepared for anything close to the protracted static combat that really occurred, many military experts did grasp the fundamental issues with contemporary warfare. The Polish civilian banker Jan Bloch (1836–1902) contended that new weapons made offensive maneuvers virtually impossible in his five-volume work, which was released in 1899.  Some military strategists agreed with Bloch that the new technologies reinforced the defense’s inherent superiority; others, however, thought the offense had the advantage due to the new, potent weaponry.

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9. The Tanker Became One Of The Main Weapons Of War

The Tank. Photo by Dmitry Bukhantsov on Unsplash

The tank was either the weapon in World War I with the greatest promise for victory or it was the most overrated. The discussion has continued for almost a century after the war’s conclusion. It is evident that a variety of circumstances contributed to the Germans’ far slower than the Allies’ recognition of the new weapon system’s potential. The Germans had already tested armored automobiles with machine guns and light guns before the start of the war. Not to be left behind, on September 15, 1916, the Brits utilized tanks for the first time on the Somme.

10. There Was Increased Firepower Mechanization

Colonel Georg Bruchmüller was the most significant artillery tactician of the conflict, experimenting with fire support techniques that were drastic departures from tradition. He was the first proponent of neutralization and planned and carried out preparations in the East that only took a few hours to complete but had a greater impact than the artillery preparations that took weeks before strikes in the West.

11. Aircraft Were Now Being Designed Specifically For Air Superiority

The aircraft in World War I experienced perhaps the steepest growth curve of any weapon system ever. Aerial reconnaissance was the only purpose of aircraft at the outset of the conflict. By the end of the conflict, all sides had aircraft designed specifically for air superiority, bombing, and reconnaissance missions. The Germans unveiled the Junkers J-1, a bomb-carrying machine gun platform, in 1917. It was the first aircraft in the world to be made entirely of metal, as well as the first to be made with ground attack and infantry close support in mind.

Thirty-seven airplanes were lost in September 1915 on both sides of the Western Front. Together, they amounted to 832 by August 1918. The Germans constructed about 47,637 aircraft during the course of the conflict, spanning 150 different kinds.

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12. Suddenly There Was a Need For Communication, Command, And Control

German military field telephone receiver and case used on the battlefield during World War I. Author Deutsche Telephone Werke. Wikimedia Commons

Communication, Command, and Control are essential for modern warfare to be successful. During World War I, there were no real-time or nearly real-time communications technologies, making it difficult to provide prompt fire support. The Allies attempted to centralize planning and execution at the highest levels, while the Germans decentralized as much of the implementation as they could. This system evolved into what is now known as Auftragstaktik, which is a mission-oriented tactic in English.

13. Naval Combat Was Improved And Became Essential In Warfare

Naval combat was improved and became essential in warfare. Although maritime power, in the shape of the naval blockade of Germany, was one of the key factors in the conclusion of the war, the great irony of World War I was that no genuinely important naval engagement ever occurred. The first and only significant combat between two modern battleship fleets occurred in history at the bloodless Battle of Jutland in 1916. When the HMS Dreadnought was launched in 1906, all other battleships in the world were immediately rendered obsolete. Nonetheless, Dreadnought-type battleships were already on the verge of extinction by 1918.

14. Development Of Military Strategies Became Part And Parcel of Fighting Troops

Allied commanders had come to the realization that significant penetration was no longer feasible by the middle of 1917, but some tacticians had more audacious ideas. French Captain André Laffargue proposed that the main assault should be preceded by squads of skirmishers armed with light machine guns and grenades. In Germany, Captain Wilhelm Rohr was given command of the Assault Detachment, which designed and carried out counterattack strategies based on the conventional non-linear strategies of the previous German Jäger battalions. Rohr’s tactics were similar to those put out by Laffarague.

15. Firepower Was Emphasized In Military Circles To Neutralize The Enemy

Artillery dominated World War I due to firepower mechanization and its primary roles of destruction and annihilation. Colonel Georg Bruchmüller was the most significant artillery tactician, experimenting with fire support techniques that were drastic departures from tradition. He recognized the ineffectiveness of protracted, destruction-focused artillery preparations and advocated for neutralization.