 |
| Scientific
and technological revolution
|
 |
With the evolution of mankind human desire to conquer others
lands and to enslave other peoples grew, which led to the
search for more sophisticated and improved weapons of war.
Scientific and technological revolution contributed much to
the development of new weapons of all kinds. Undoubtedly rapid
progress in military technology had a great impact on the
course of hostilities. We can observe the progress in military
technology by the example of a series of wars, which America
waged. If we analyze the course of Civil War, World War I,
World War II and the Cold war we will see that from 1862 to
1991 the world has made an enormous progress in military equipment,
which certainly influenced tactics and strategy of all these
wars.
The main tendency in the development of military weapon was
the endeavor to make weapon as powerful as possible in order
to annihilate more enemies. The more solid the weapon was,
the more people it could destroy, the faster the aim of war
was achieved by one or another party. The American Civil War
started in 1861 and lasted for four years. At that time the
most powerful and effective weapon was a cannon. The Civil
War was marked by extensive use of heavy rifled cannons, which
were made out of high quality cast iron.
In comparison with the Civil War, World War I was characterized
by far more powerful military equipment, which certainly resulted
in the number of people killed. It lasted from 1914 until
1918 and had grave consequences that influenced greatly the
history of the twentieth century. During the period from the
Civil War till WWI scientists paved the way for a massive
destruction of people and buildings. In 1867 Alfred Nobel
invented dynamite, which decided the outcome of numerous battles
and the destiny of many cities. In sea warfare submarines
began to be largely used in order to carry out sneak attacks.
However, in spite of signing peace treaties, World War I provoked
further aggression. The Germans’ desire to take revenge,
to restore and to enlarge the empire and to prove the world
their might led to World War II. The preparation to the war
resulted in the introduction of rocket artillery, anti-tank
rockets and flying bombs. In 1943 air-launched anti-ship missiles
were used for the first time. Undoubtedly, the breakthrough
in the technology of warfare was the development of an atomic
bomb which became the most destructive and appalling weapon
ever known in the history.
The decision to use atomic bomb against Japan caused heated
disputes, which do not calm down till now. Harry Truman, who
wanted America to be the unconditional winner in WWII, gave
an order to drop the bomb as soon as possible without any
warning. From a perspective of humanism this decision cannot
be justified as the aftermath of this unconventional attack
became catastrophic. Personally, I believe it is impossible
to put political image of the country over lives of millions
of people. Even a war should have its rules and measures.
Historians name several factors that induced Truman to make
such a decision. One of the most significant of them is the
policy of America directed at the status of absolute leader
in the world, especially in the context of its confrontation
with the USSR. This confrontation lasted long after the end
of the Second World War and became famous as the Cold War.
It lasted from 1947 until 1991 and consisted in military buildup
and political rivalry for the supremacy in the world. Though
there was no military engagement between two world powers,
the struggle was tense and exhausting. The main purpose of
both countries was to consolidate their armies. In this time
reconnaissance satellites and sensors were developed by the
Americans while Soviet people tested a hydrogen bomb.
To make a conclusion we see that during two centuries America
participated in four wars and from one war to another its
military equipment developed and improved, which allowed the
country to gain many victories and to sustain fewer losses
than other countries. However, in chase of victories America
sometimes forgot about humanistic principles and displayed
savagery to other countries. Thus, Truman’s decision
to use an atomic bomb against Japan cannot be justified anyway.
|
|
