Tanks

Leonardo da Vinci is often credited with the first idea of something that looked like a tank but it was
not until the First World War that they were fully developed. The first use of tanks was during the
Battle of the Somme by the British but they achieved little. Their first major success was at the Battle
of Cambrai in November 1917 when over 400 tanks were used and managed to advance 6 miles in a
day. They were also vital in the final defeat of the Germans with great success coming at the Battle
of Amiens in August 1918.

Tanks had mixed success.

One of the major
problems was reliability
as the Tanks were prone
to breaking down. They
also struggled to
manoeuvre particularly in
difficult conditions and
could get stuck in the
mud. However, they also
had some major successes and were able to punch holes in enemy lines allowing the infantry to
help. There were even times they were so successful, they got too far ahead of their infantry support
and got isolated. The main effect of tanks was as a psychological weapon as the new technology
terrified enemies when first used.
The direct military impact of the tank can be debated but its effect on the Germans was
immense, it caused bewilderment, terror and concern in equal measure. It was also a huge boost
to the civilians at home. After facing the Zeppelins, at last Britain had a wonder weapon. Tanks
were taken on tours and treated almost like film stars.

— David Willey, curator at Bovington Tank Museum

Gas
Chemical weapons have been used for thousands years but the first widespread use was in WWI.
There were a range of different gases used including tear gas, phosgene, chlorine and mustard gas.
They were first used by the Germans on the Eastern Front in January 1915 but this was quickly
transferred to the Western Front and also used by the allies including the British. Around 90,000
deaths in WWI have been attributed to chemical weapons.

Gas was terrifying particularly to soldiers who had not been exposed to it before. It also had
devastating psychological effects and led to PTSD amongst soldiers who suffered gas attacks.
However, after the initial effects, soldiers developed effective ways to deal with gas. The most simple
of these was gas masks, soldiers also realised that staying still and staying on high ground could
reduce the effects of gas. Gas was also an unreliable weapon and the first British use at the Battle of
Loos was a disaster after wind blew the gas back towards the British troops

Gas! GAS! Quick, boys! — An ecstasy of fumbling,

Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time;
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling,
And flound'ring like a man in fire or lime ...
Dim, through the misty panes and thick
green light,
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.
In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking,
drowning.

— Wilfred Owen, "Dulce et Decorum est", 1917

Aircraft
The first aeroplanes were only developed in 1905 so the technology was still very new when war
started, however both sides used aircraft in battle. Early on, aircraft were initially used for
reconnaissance to spot troop movements and survey trenches. However, air combat started to
emerge and small planes started being equipped with machine guns. Pilots started fighting in single
combat in the air and the most famous pilots became heroes counting the number of enemy planes
they had taken out. The most famous have become legends, such as Baron von Richtofen (known as
the Red Baron) who took down 80 allied planes.

Life expectancy was incredibly low for pilots and aircraft were still unreliable and newly developed.
They were also mainly restricted to reconnaissance which could be ruined by poor weather
conditions. Anti-aircraft guns were also developed
making aircraft vulnerable to attacks from the
ground as well. As the war went on, there was also
development in using aircraft for bombing and the
Germans used zeppelins to bomb English cities.

“The day has passed when armies on the ground

or navies on the sea can be the arbiter of a
nation's destiny in war. The main power of defense
and the power of initiative against an enemy has
passed to the air.”

— Brigadier General Billy Mitchell, November 1918