Technological Advances During World War 2

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Plato once said, “Necessity is the Mother of Invention.” War drives necessity, and World War 2, arguably one of the greatest wars of all time, was no exception. World War 2 was an era of change, of advancement. Nation states aspired to to create better weapons than their opponents, the sparks of war giving birth to technological phenomenons. Past wars such as World War 1, advancements in science, new discoveries, etc. all cultivated in new inventions, new ways to kill - submarines, assault rifles, tanks, the atomic bomb. Technological advancements were featured in the early stages of World War 2, and further advancements were also driven by the war itself. Without the necessity brought upon by World War 2, there would not be the modern weapons…show more content…
Back during the Civil War, Bayonets had some effectiveness as mass charges could cause retreat, fear, and slaughter in the enemy as reloading was difficult. However, in World War 2, a mass bayonet charge would most likely be slaughtered by machine gun fire or taken out with artillery and explosives. Another weapon that fell out of favor was the horse. In the past, large scale cavalry charges were very common and effective, especially against infantry. However, horses were less reliable than trucks and also needed feeding. Horses, as a result, were no longer used in the frontlines except by Poland, but Germany still used horses for carrying and transporting supplies. After the Normandy landing, this became a disadvantage as the Americans used trucks in large numbers. Germany had 2.75 million horses provided their logistics and supply line. However, they were often sick or unable to arrive to the battlefield on time. As a result, they fell out of favor after World War 2. Other weapons that became obsolete will be mentioned in the following…show more content…
However, at the end of World War 2, the Atomic bomb was invented - two atomic bombs, little boy and fat man, were dropped in Japan. Little boy, the smaller of the two, was two thousand times more powerful than the Grand Slam. Why was it developed? Nuclear fission (the technology behind the atomic bomb) was first discovered by Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassmann, two German scientists in 1938. Word quickly spread, and by 1939 a nuclear program had started in the United States while a British program started in 1940. This, by scale, was probably one of the most important and impactful innovations during World War 2. Although it came out at the end of the war, it forced a quick Japanese surrender instead of a bloody battle through the heart of Japan. This impact was enormous as Hiroshima and Nagasaki, two cities, were destroyed. Hiroshima lost 70,000 people after the direct explosion, and had lost up to 100,000 people in a few months due to radiation poisoning. 67% of the buildings were also completely destroyed, with many more damaged. These numbers are enormous and just a picture of what the bombs can
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