TECHNOLOGY OF

WWI
PLANES, SUBMARINES, TRENCHES,
GAS, AND MORE

WHAT TYPES OF TECHNOLOGY WERE

USED DURING WWI ???
Trenches
Guns
Tanks
Gas
Planes
Submarines

TRENCHES

Were awful!!!
Results:
- Infestation Lice
- Trench foot
- Shell Shock
- If you were seriously injured you were
left to die in no mans land

DIRIGIBLES

Dirigibles were used by

Britain and Germany
during WWI
What is it: Inflatable
airship
What is it used for:
Used for bombing and
scouting

GUNS & TANKS

By 1914 new technology had been
developed
This included: machine guns, armored
tanks, bigger field guns and cannons
Example: Big Bertha

BIG BERTHA
Reached
12km away
820 kg gun
shells
(About 1807
lbs)
Filled with
explosives

TANKS

British developed Mark I Tanks that could demolish

barbed wire Why would this be beneficial?
Tanks went first, soldiers followed behind them
First used at the Battle of the Somme in 1916
Result: Many tanks broke down, 9 tanks made it
through.

PLANES

WWI: The first time aircraft were used on such a massive scale.
Fighter Planes: were used to find enemy positions, take
photos, and plan better attacks on enemy positions.
They were later used in battle
BUT: There was a fear of shooting their own propellers so each
side tried to design a way for guns to fire between propeller
blades.

BILLY BISHOP: THE CANADIAN ACE

Famous Canadian pilot during WWI
Part of the British Royal Flying Corps
(because Canada did not have their
own force in WWI)
He had 72 victories Top Canadian
Ace of WWI (It only takes 5 credited
victories to be an Ace)
Instrumental in set up of British
Commonwealth Air Training Plan:
WWII
Today: Billy Bishop Airport in Toronto

SUBMARINES
Britain and Germany used submarines
Germany was more well known for U-Boats (Under-sea boats) which
often blocked merchant convoys sending supplies to Britain from Canada.
1915 A U-Boat sunk the Lusitania carrying 1200 passengers
Allies developed an underwater listening device to find and destroy UBoats.

GAS
First used by Germany
Where: Battle of Ypres 1915
Types of gas used: Chlorine (skin and lungs), Phosgene
Gas (suffocation), Mustard Gas (Burned skin),
Why gas? Gas made it easier to kill a large number of
people all at once
Result: development of anti-gas respirators

TECHNOLOGY VIDEO
WWI TECHNOLOGY VIDEO

PROBLEMS WITH NEW TECHNOLOGY

Army commanders failed to understand
new technology and how to use it.
The result was a war of attrition tactic.
Each side just attacked each other until
they were exhausted.
This was ineffective and tiring.

THINK PAIR SHARE

Based on what we talked about today think about
the following questions, discuss them with a
partner, and be prepared to share.
1. How can technological advances help explain
the large number of soldiers killed during WWI?
2. How did technology change the nature of
warfare during WWI?
3. What differences can you think of or find
between the weapons/nature of warfare during
WWI vs. today?