New Weapons and Technology

The First World War saw the introduction of a range of new weapons and technologies that transformed warfare. Machine guns, poison gas, tanks, and aircraft all played significant roles on the battlefield. This lesson covers the key technologies, how they were used, and their impact on the course of the war.

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Machine Guns

The machine gun was the weapon that, more than any other, created the stalemate on the Western Front.

Aspect	Detail
Rate of fire	A single machine gun could fire 400–600 rounds per minute
Effect	Made frontal infantry assaults across open ground suicidal. A few machine guns could hold off hundreds of attackers
Limitation	Heavy and difficult to move; overheated and jammed; required a team to operate
Impact on tactics	Forced both sides into the trenches. Infantry could not advance against concentrated machine gun fire without enormous casualties

Exam Tip: The machine gun is the single most important weapon for explaining the stalemate. Always emphasise how it gave the defender a decisive advantage over the attacker.

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Artillery