What was the impact of machine guns on the battlefield of World War I?

Machine guns inflicted appalling casualties on both war fronts in World War One. Men who went over-the-top in trenches stood little chance when the enemy opened up with their machine guns. Machine guns were one of the main killers in the war and accounted for many thousands of deaths.

Why did the French lose the Franco Prussian war?

Lasting from 19 July 1870 to 28 January 1871, the conflict was caused primarily by France’s determination to restore its dominant position in continental Europe, which it had lost following Prussia’s crushing victory over Austria in 1866.

What impact did the machine gun have on the nature of fighting on the Western Front?

The defensive power of the machine gun created the stalemate on the Western Front, and almost all of the technologies that were introduced during the war were built in order to defeat it. The introduction of this weapon radically changed the strategies and tactics used by militaries in the future.

How did the Franco-Prussian War affect France?

Franco-German War, also called Franco-Prussian War, (July 19, 1870–May 10, 1871), war in which a coalition of German states led by Prussia defeated France. The war marked the end of French hegemony in continental Europe and resulted in the creation of a unified Germany.

What would have happened if France won the Franco-Prussian War?

France would have stayed an Empire and would have not become a Republic. It would have been seen as the major power in continental Europe, thus Britain would have signed defensive treaty with Prussia.

What are machine guns in ww1?

By World War I, machine guns were fully automatic weapons that fired bullets rapidly, up to 450 to 600 rounds a minute. Hiram Maxim, an American inventor, delivered the first automatic, portable machine gun in 1884, providing the template for the weapon that devastated the British at the Somme.

What was the result of the war between France and Prussia?

In 1870, France and Prussia were at war It was a disaster for the French who had no allies, a inefficient badly organised army and they were outnumbered. They were crushed by Otto von Bismarck’s efficient army. It was a chance for him to create a grand German national pride. France’s defeat was humiliating.

How did the machine gun work in WW1?

The earliest, most primitive renditions of the machine gun worked entirely from a hand crank but by the ending of World War I in 1918, the machine gun was entirely automatic and was capable of producing an output of up to 600 rounds per minute. Even still, there were more changes on the horizon.

What is the difference between a German and a French gun?

The French breech-loading rifle, the Chassepot, had a far longer range than the German needle gun; 1,500 yards (1,400 m) compared to 600 yd (550 m). The French also had an early machine-gun type weapon, the mitrailleuse, which could fire its thirty-seven barrels at a range of around 1,200 yd (1,100 m).

Why did Prussia have more manpower than the French?

Prussia now had the equivalent of a further three army corps on mobilisation, bringing her total manpower to virtually twice that of the French. Napoleon III took great pride in his professional regular army, especially the 20,000-strong Imperial Guard, but recognised that it was now hopelessly outnumbered.