World War 1; Machine Gun
A machine gun is a weapon that was first used in World War 1. The first machine gun was designed by Hiram Maxim in Great Britain, his name was no longer in use once Richard Gatling created a machine gun with a .50 inch caliber in 1862. Hiram invented the machine gun because multiple barrel ideas were tested and the machine gun was the most successful one, it was capable of firing up to 1,000 shots per minute.
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Impact
The overall impact machine guns made on World War 1, was how powerful and efficient it could defeat hundreds yet thousands of soldiers at the same time. There were other weapons used but the machine gun had a great impact for each country.
The machine guns had a major impact on three main groups; soldiers near the front lines in Europe, the leaders of warring nations and the decisions they made, and civilians near the front lines in Europe. The most impacted group were the leaders of warring nations and the decisions they made because they had to adjust their tactics and they had to become more aware of things like people who are pretending to do something unwanted and suspicious like. Civilians near the front lines in Europe had the most impact after the leaders, they were mainly impacted because they had to force themselves to fight with the military currently fighting to save their country. It changed their lives and completely turned it around from when it was before the whole war started. Soldiers near the front lines in Europe weren't as impacted but there were still things that they had to deal with when they were in the trenches. Some of them didn't know that their lives could be taken away so quickly, because of the machine guns, the number of soldiers near the front lines dropped rapidly.
The machine guns had a major impact on three main groups; soldiers near the front lines in Europe, the leaders of warring nations and the decisions they made, and civilians near the front lines in Europe. The most impacted group were the leaders of warring nations and the decisions they made because they had to adjust their tactics and they had to become more aware of things like people who are pretending to do something unwanted and suspicious like. Civilians near the front lines in Europe had the most impact after the leaders, they were mainly impacted because they had to force themselves to fight with the military currently fighting to save their country. It changed their lives and completely turned it around from when it was before the whole war started. Soldiers near the front lines in Europe weren't as impacted but there were still things that they had to deal with when they were in the trenches. Some of them didn't know that their lives could be taken away so quickly, because of the machine guns, the number of soldiers near the front lines dropped rapidly.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
Cons:
- 2-3 soldiers to operate
- Kills enemy efficiently
- Killing at a long range
- Shoots up to 400-600 small calibers per minute
- Doesn't have to be reloaded constantly
Cons:
- Very heavy
- Often over heated
- Can't pick it up alone
- Clogged up with dirt
- Gunner must keep head up above trenches to see
Who used it
- France
- Germany
- USA
- Italy
- Austria-Hungary
- Russia
- Great Britain
Connections to TodayTo your right, you will see an example of one of many modern day machine guns. As years went by and technology improved, so did the machine guns. From World War 1 to the year 2014, machine guns have improve significantly; from reducing the weight of the actual machine gun down to about 17 lbs. It requires you to reload more than you would have to in World War 1 since you're able to hold the machine gun and operate it yourself. But it is still as powerful as before.
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Who uses it today
The same countries that used it in World war 1, are currently using the new and improved machine gun for war/combat.
- France
- Germany
- USA
- Italy
- Austria-Hungary
- Russia
- Great Britain
Today's uses for machine guns
As of today the weapon is used for war usually against two countries, or one country defending another and helping out. Most countries overall use a machine gun in war if effort-able.
Leanna Sinn