c1700 - c1900 - Changes In Weaponary

Question 1

When were minie bullets made?

Answer 1

1847

Question 2

What were minié bullets?

Answer 2

Small bullets that expanded within the barrel, making loading easier

Question 3

What were the design of conical bullets?

Answer 3

They were more aerodynamic which increased the range of rifles

Question 4

What were the advantages of percussion bullets?

Answer 4

They made loading easier and rifles more reliable by ending their reliance on powder and flint

Question 5

What was breech-loading

Answer 5

• Made reloading 4 times quicker than with muskets
• pushed bullets into the bottom of the barrel

Question 6

What were the advantages of magazines?

Answer 6

They allowed several bullets to be loaded at once

Question 7

What were the improvements and advantages of light field artillery?

Answer 7

• they could be moved quickly
• they recoiled - made firing quicker and easier
• thinner and lighter cannon barrels were made
• experiments with bronze made cannon even lighter, with lighter carriages

Question 8

What were the advantages and improvements of heavy artilley?

Answer 8

• steel cannon were stronger than bronze
• breech-loading cannon reloaded five times faster than previous muzzle-loading cannon
• increased range
• percussion shells filled with chemicals that exploded were in use
• smokeless powder stopped being used
• cannon with rifled barrels increased the range from humdreds of metres to 5km

Question 9

What was the change in tactics and formation by the crimean war?

Answer 9

At the Battle of Waterloo, 1815, the British infantry formed squares to repel the enemy.
By the Crimean War, 1853-56, the musket had been replaced by percussion rifles. Its increased range and accuracy meant a new defence was needed.

Question 10

What were the developments of trench warfare in the crimean war?

Answer 10

Systems of trenches gave protection against enemy fire. Troops and supplies could move near the front line without being exposed

Question 11

Gatling guns

Answer 11

Small cannon-like guns - had several small revolving barrels and fired as many as 150 bullets a minute

Question 12

Maxim gun

Answer 12

Introduced in 1880s and was a smaller and more practical machine gun that could be moved by one man

Question 13

When were machine guns introduced?

Answer 13

1880

Question 14

What were factors affecting change?

Answer 14

Spiralling change - when one country improved others would race for better
Social attitudes - conservatism, fear and cost
Political attitudes - the upheaval of the french revolution made governments uneasy about change
Individuals - wellington resisted change as a threat to his social class
Industrialisation - improvements in science, technology and industry

Question 15

What did the improvement of recoiling do

Answer 15

Cannon itself stayed in position - allowing quicker refiring

Question 16

What was the Impact of tactics and formation?

Answer 16

At the Battle of Waterloo, 1815, the British infantry formed squares to repel the enemy.
By the Crimean War, 1853-56, the musket had been replaced by percussion rifles. Its increased range and accuracy meant a new defence was needed.