Historical Discussion

[Sev]

All right... The title says it all.



Let's get the ball rolling..

Which do you think is the first truly modern war, or the one that had the most impact on combat today?

I will give my personal opinion a little later.

[Ajax]

I would probably say either ww1 or ww2. Mostly for how much impact they had on the world even to this day.

[Abbot]

Hm... I definitely think it was when Caveman Thrak first marched into the boundaries of Caveman Throok, stealing all his big rocks. Anyone?

[Ajax]

For sure, I mean you just don't touch another mans rocks!

[Abbot]

Right!

[Sev]

I like the serious and thoughtful way you approach your history Abbot!!!!


Seriously though... I agree with Ajax in two different ways. I think that WW1 had the largest impact on how the world is culturally and politically today, but that WWII had the biggest impact on combat. After all, Heinz Guderian's "Achtung Panzer!", and Rommel's "Infanterie Angriff" (infantry attacks) are still read by military theorists and used as textbooks at places like West Point.   Even though WWI was the first major war with tanks and aircraft, WWII was were the tactics really began to catch up with the tech.

[Abbot]

Thanks Sev!

Seriously, it is definitely WWI. Even in the Napoleonic Wars, the use of cavalry began to show itself as irrelevant and pointless. But most truly in WWI, as it perfectly shows in War Horse, the flash and debonair had vanished from war and the new era was ushered in.

[Caesar]

Well, if talking about the navy, I believe that the American Civil War is the first modern war. It is when ships were first employed with a complete hard layer of metal armor and fully traversing gun turrets.

[Predator]

I think it was the Romans. They were pretty much the first civilized army and first started that kind of well ordered combat.

[Sev]

Apr 14, 2015 18:44:06 GMT Abbot said:

Thanks Sev!

Seriously, it is definitely WWI. Even in the Napoleonic Wars, the use of cavalry began to show itself as irrelevant and pointless. But most truly in WWI, as it perfectly shows in War Horse, the flash and debonair had vanished from war and the new era was ushered in.

I mean't which war most affected the way combat is waged now.... the elimination of horse cavalry is kinda small compared to the sweeping innovations of tactics and tech in WWII!  

[Abbot]

In WWI, however, the commanders made sure each unit was issued with a bayonet as they viewed a war in which troops charged across the fields in a bold dramatic battle. The war ended up to be units dug into trenches and in month long firefights. Camouflage became a new and important technique. I think that WWI made them rethink war, but WWII was putting it into effect.

[Sev]

Yeah, I think WWI changed with what they made war, WWII changed how! But there were sooooo many innovations in WWII! Guided missiles (air to air, air to surface and surface to surface!!!!), jet engines, a-bomb, aircraft carriers, the assault rifle, discarding sabot rounds for artillery, airborne rockets, mobile rocket launchers, mobile artillery, man portable AT missile launchers.... The list goes on and on!!!!

[Spidey]

Apr 14, 2015 23:58:46 GMT Abbot said:

In WWI, however, the commanders made sure each unit was issued with a bayonet as they viewed a war in which troops charged across the fields in a bold dramatic battle. The war ended up to be units dug into trenches and in month long firefights. Camouflage became a new and important technique. I think that WWI made them rethink war, but WWII was putting it into effect.

So true Abbot. It was WWI that First used airplanes,first used tanks, first used weapons of mass destruction( gas warfare.), first really implemented the use of long rang arty. So many things.

[Caesar]

Apr 14, 2015 23:58:46 GMT Abbot said:

In WWI, however, the commanders made sure each unit was issued with a bayonet as they viewed a war in which troops charged across the fields in a bold dramatic battle. The war ended up to be units dug into trenches and in month long firefights. Camouflage became a new and important technique. I think that WWI made them rethink war, but WWII was putting it into effect.

The bayonet charge is definitely not modern.

[Sev]

But the improvements to every facet of mobile warfare in WWII were so sweeping and comprehensive as to make it totally unrecognizable to those who fought in the first World War. What major tactic or form of warfare originated from WWI that is being used today? you can name a lot from WWII!