Warfare is evolving rapidly with the help of new technologies and new tactics. It has the capacity to change the character of war therefore we can see many emerging trends in warfare. Invasion of Italy by french was a landmark event since it initiated the age of modern warfare. The primary distinctions between modern warfare and the pre-modern warfare are modern wars are more deadly and more advanced. With the application of technology for the use of warfare significant improvements such as mobile armies, aircrafts and efficient trends in mobilization and deployment began to rise during the second industrial age. The main feature of the early modern age was the use of gunpowder hence it is also known as the age of gunpowder. In general modern warfare comprises of all warfare since the gunpowder revolution.
The gradual development of warfare can be seen through its process of evolution. The gunpowder revolution, the industrial revolution and second industrial revolution are three instances of great change in warfare. During each of these revolutions many transformational technologies and innovations were introduced with effective improvements. Many factors impacted on these revolutions that made them evolve into distinctive eras that comprised of new and improved technologies and innovations with the discovery of certain resources for instance oil, electricity etc…and economic development which eventually led to the rise of industries, development of infrastructure and the growing competition between states to name a few. These factors have played a massive role in the shaping of the warfare in the modern era as well as the emergence of new ideologies such as the rise of nationalism and democracy, their influence on the modern warfare is still apparent.
The industrial revolution in the nineteenth century had a massive impact on warfare due to revolutionary inventions like railroads, steamships and electric telegraphs, apart from the above mentioned inventions it featured mass-conscripted armies (associated with the French revolutionary and Napoleonic wars). Innovative technologies of the first industrial age were profoundly displayed in the Crimean war it became a platform for new innovations to be tested and it displayed how such innovations can be used in warfare for example construction of railroads to transport troops and supplies from the harbor of Balaklava. Transportation was not easy prior to the invention of railroads logistics and command and-control systems could not keep pace with the growing size of armies. Supplies still had to be hauled by horses. Telegraph was used to coordinate war efforts, organize campaigns, gather intelligence etc… before its invention orders still had to be relayed by bugles, shouts, and messages carried on horseback during Napoleonic conquests it is stated that communication became an issue since Grande Armée consisted of six hundred thousand men and due to its enormity they had to face the difficulty of commanding to such a vast army. In general the first industrial revolution was able to equip growing armies and portrayed the effective use of new technologies with the transformation of artillery in land warfare as well as in naval warfare such as repeating rifles and machine guns and steam driven ships.
The dichotomy between the first industrial age and the second industrial age is the expansion of electricity and utilization of oil. The first industrial age was featured by coal and steam although it introduced the utility of electricity it was not widely used until the second. The second revolution started in the late nineteenth century with the expansion of electrical technology it allowed mass production and development in communication technology. Companies such as Edison general electric company emerged as a result of these developments apart from electricity there was a rapid development in the steel production as well as the invention of internal combustion engine which had the ability to power automobiles, ships and aircrafts which resulted in paving the way for mass mobility. All of these changes
led the way to rapid growth of urban areas, economic growth and population growth. Invention of automobiles was one of the most significant inventions which revolutionized the art of warfare this new technology was applied to both land warfare and naval warfare, discovery of oil which was used to power motor vehicles and airplanes. Other important inventions were telephone, radio and radar.
The key features of the second industrial revolution:
Widespread deployment of electricity
Invention of internal combustion engine
Discovery of oil
Invention of automobile
Invention of aircrafts
Development of steel production
Innovations in communication technology
Advancement in chemistry
Widespread deployment of electricity
Electricity was discovered in the first industrial age but the usage of it came into prominence in the second industrial age. After the invention of the incandescent light bulb by Thomas Alva Edison he invented electrical generators eventually the use of electricity expanded widely therefore many other appliances and ventures were invented to be used with electricity. Due to this rapid changes took place for example factories started to emerge which led to mass production and boosted the economic growth. The technological advancement of the second industrial age mainly revolves around utilization of electricity it directly influenced the communication technology, manufacturing technology, agricultural technology and, automobile and airline industry. Electricity played a major role in each of the above mentioned technologies for example wireless telegraph, telephone and radio major developments in the communication technology in the second industrial revolution were used in aerial warfare, radios were used to gather intelligence from the enemy’s side, prior to using radios usually spies were planted among the enemies but after the invention of radios it provided the opportunity of gathering information in an efficient and improved way, during the world war 1 the british (The Admiralty’s Room 40) using this tactic was able to break the Imperial German Navy’s communications, the publication of Zimmermann telegram was another successful interception done by the British. Utility of electricity in warfare during the second revolution by using equipment like radios, telephones impacted massively on the modern warfare it is evident when examining the methods that have been used and still are used by the military in certain operations even way after the end of the second industrial revolution the publication of the Zimmermann telegram is a perfect example radio was used to intercept and decode the telegram in the world war 1. During the Second World War British and America were successful in penetrating allied communications they had the upper hand over the Germans and Japanese since they weren’t on the same level of deciphering codes and they also utilized radar and sonar. An example for electronic warfare in the contemporary time would be the use of highly advanced technological equipment like drones for navigation which has made warfare tremendously easier and tactical at the same time. It is apparent the electronic technology that emerged in the second industrial age laid the foundation to the highly advanced technology that we now see today.
Invention of internal combustion engine
invention of the internal combustion engine is one of the most significant features of the second industrial revolution the first practical model was invented in the 1859 the first practical model was created. In 1886 engines were installed in four wheel carriages by Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz, which gave birth to automobile. These engines were installed in cars, planes and ships the significance of this in warfare is it restored mobility in war with tanks before its invention transportation was done through carriages which was not efficient due to the poor state of roadways and time consuming. It is mostly associated with the automobile earlier ‘horseless carriages’ were powered by electricity or steam but eventually gasoline motor was used instead. Contribution of internal combustion engine to land warfare was introduction of tanks and motor vehicles. Ever since the creation of internal combustion engine tanks, aircrafts, ships were used in warfare with engines they have evolved over the years but the influence it had is still present for example use of armored vehicles in warfare is more convenient than going horseback because of the vulnerability against getting attacked going unprotected. At the early times when ships were sailed all the inner workings had to be done manually but with the introduction of the engine in the modern warfare we can see fast boats with motor engines.
Discovery of oil
Discovery of oil also another fact that is closely related with the invention of automobile since gasoline was in demand to power automobiles and other forms of transportation like ships and trains. First major oilfield was discovered in 1901 in Texas, USA with the growing demand and the ready availability of it USA controlled the two-thirds of the world’s petroleum mostly because of its motorization Ford motor company owned by henry ford emerged as a result of this and it helped to usher a new era of mass production. Ford Company later innovated several forms of transportation like airplanes. Hence oil was a vital resource during the second revolution since it was used by tanks and ships in land warfare, naval and aerial warfare even in modern warfare oil is utilized just as it was done in the second industrial revolution. Hence discovery of oil was a very significant event in modern warfare.
Invention of automobile
Automobile was invented by Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler. After its invention transportation become much more efficient as a result of the discovery of oil especially in USA, oil was available since the required resources weren’t scare with the great demand for automobiles it became a household item. They were used in the First World War Eventually war led to the invention of tank which was more suitable to go into the battlefield, the increasing use of motor vehicles made it easier for troops to spread out without getting exposed to attacks. Tanks are still used in modern warfare.
Invention of aircrafts
In 1903 Orville and Wilbur Wright built the first flight using the internal combustion engine and by 1918 planes were rapidly improved. During the initial stages flights were made out of wood, clothes and wire etc…but later the material used to build planes was improved. Fighter airplanes were introduced later on even Ford Company got into airplane business, by 1930s American airlines rose into prominence with the production of airplanes. During the Great War many states possessed airplanes among them were used for military transport. Combination of airplane industry and electronic communication paved the way for commercial air transportation. Fighter airplanes were used in the second industrial revolution the trend
of using airplanes in wars can be still seen in the modern warfare. Establishment of a separate defense force related to aerial warfare shows its impact.
Development of steel production
Development of steel production in the second industrial revolution contributed in manufacturing and in construction, it led to a massive improvement in productivity. Steel was used to create internal combustion engines and parts of motor vehicles and ships etc…it was allowed mass production. Railways constructions heavily depended on steel as the construction of rail tracks increased the demand for the steel also heightened railway transportation was used to transport soldiers during the second revolution it reduced travel time this paved the way to the modern system of transportation.
Innovations in communication technology
Second industrial revolution brought drastic changes to the telecommunications prior to these changes communication was extremely hard and slow but with the invention of telephone that difficulties were changed for the better. Invention of radio also another significant improvement in the communication technology it was first introduced as wireless telegraphs later it upgraded into radio with new features radios were used by military to gather intelligence from enemy sides for example the publication of Zimmermann telegram is an example of efficient use of radio in military operations it allowed ships and airplanes to update their coordinates. Invention of telegraph played a major role in promotion of connectivity. Prior to its invention communication among armies were fragmented for example during the Napoleonic wars due to enormity of his army he had the difficulty of commandeering his vast army at the end most of them didn’t return home because of miscommunication. These developments left a massive impact on the modern warfare especially taking into consideration of Napoleonic wars incident and the improvements that happened after the innovations in the communication technology.
Advancement in chemistry
During the second industrial revolution advances in chemistry resulted in development of new materials and products for example introduction of vaccines, creation of bomb using chemical substances. Vaccines were used when health conditions were threatened dropping of atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki is an example of consequences of advancement of chemistry and how detrimental it could be in modern warfare states possess nuclear weapons to maintain the balance of power although they possess nuclear weapons they try not go into nuclear wars after witnessing the horrors of Hiroshima, Nagasaki nuclear attacks.
The developments in the second industrial revolution resulted in many drastic changes in the society and warfare. Emergence of power blocs and competition among states which eventually led to conflicts and wars. The technologies that emerged in this era laid the foundation of modern warfare.
