Quote:
Originally Posted by btimbit
The way warfare changed during WW1 is what fascinates me the most. From brightly coloured uniforms, and cavalry charges to camouflage and trenches. Started as this grand, poetic thing and very quickly was viewed as the nightmare it really is
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That change really started to happen in the civil war in the US, when the American's significantly increased the effective firing range of their rifles. They also proved the effectiveness of iron clad boats moving the world into the battleship races and we saw the advent of the submarine.
The Americans' also started using less gaudy uniforms and practicing ambush tactics.
The biggest effect on warfare was with the internal combustion engine, which allowed a more effective logistics train and the ability to more quickly move troops to the front.
At that point with the advent of more accurate bullets, and artillery and the move from the Gatling gun to the fast firing accurate machine gun and improvements in artillery which moved from line of site to ranged accurate that for the first time the concept of an effective offensive war or speed war was being overtaken by the concept of fighting a defensive war and attempting to bleed your enemy into submission.
Even naval warfare became a defensive war, with ships having to deal with submarines.
The first attempt to break that stale mate was really with the first tanks, but mechanical failures killed more tanks then enemy ammunition. Just like poor hygene and infections probably caused more casualties then a bayonet charge.