War and Peace

Today and Tomorrow

War and Peace

Technological progress is faster in times of war. Each side tries to make weapons and machines that are bigger and better than those of the enemy. At the beginning of the First World War, for example, the typical flying speed of an airplane was 70 miles per hour. By the end of the war this speed had doubled. In the Second World War, the Germans introduced two inventions that later transformed flight – the turbojet, which became the basis of modern aircraft, and the ballistic missile, which took aviation from the skies into space.

Some wartime inventions, such as the tank, are only suited to war, but many have other uses. The antibiotic penicillin, which saves many lives, was invented in 1941 to cure the infected wounds of soldiers. It is impossible to say whether more good has come from wartime inventions than bad. But one thing is certain, many things were invented because of war.

Radio Detection and Ranging

In 1935, the scientist Robert Watson-Watt was asked by the British army to invent a radio death ray for warfare. Instead, he invented radio which detects enemy aircraft using radio waves.

Guided Missiles 

All modern strategic missiles and space rockets were developed from the work of a team of Second World War German scientists, who created more than 20 types of missiles. Air-to-air guided missiles, such as this one, are used for aerial combat. 

Red Floppy. Photo by Elena.

Armored Tank

The tank lurched onto First World War battlefields in 1916, thanks to the combined efforts of a number of inventors and British army officers. This modern United Nations tank has a swiveling gun turret and lookout post.

Modern Armor

Heavy steel armor plating was first used in America in 1862 to strengthen warships. Today's tanks are encased in lightweight but strong metal alloys, plastics and even ceramics.

Stealth Fighters

Difficult to detect because of their shape and a radar absorbent coating, F-117 fighter bombers are designed for precision attack. They were used by the United States in the Gulf War in 1991.

Lethal Weapons

Grenades have been around for more than 500 years. In the 1600s, French soldiers, called greanadiers, were trained specially as throwers. Plastic explosives, once unwrapped from their sausagelike skins, can be molded into position. They were used in military operations to shatter parts of bridges and buildings.

Caterpillar Tracks

In 1904, Benjamin Holt built a tractor that laid down its own track under the rear wheels to travel over mud. A continuous track enables it to break through fences and go over deepgullies.

Night Vision

Since the 1950s, scientists have been working on devices to make it possible for soldiers to fight in the dark. The night-vision goggles shown below are sensitive to low levels of light, such as reflected straight or moonlight. The goggle intensify this light and allow soldiers to see, move and shoot at night as well as they can during the day. In theory, 24-hour war is now possible.

Time-line

• 1861 : Sea Mine – USA
• 1862 : Machine Gun – Richard Gatling, USA.
• 1883: Automatic Machine Gun – Hiram Maxim, USA.
• 1902: Exploding Bullet – John Pomeroy, New Zealand.
• 1915: Sonar – Paul Langevin, France.
• 1944: V2 Rocket Bomb – Wernher von Braun and Walter Dornberger, Germany.
• 1945: Atomic Fission Bomb – Project Manhattan scientists, USA.
• 1952: Hydrogen Bomb, USA.
• 1984: Stun Gun, USA.
• 1985: Flashball Gun – François Richet, France.

War and Peace. Illustration by Elena.