Modern Warfare Flashcards
What are the three categories of change?
Science and technology, government and individuals, attitudes in society
What does UAV stand for
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
What does PGM stand for
Precision Guided Missile
What does IED stand for
Improvised Explosive Decice
How did tanks change and why
Tanks became more manoeuvrable due to improvements in science and technology
How did weapons change and why
Weapons changed as they had higher firing rates (rounds per minute) and automatic rifles (e.g AK-47) were made. This was due to improvements in science and technology
Why did the composition of the army change in the modern period
In WW1 and WW2, the amount of troops was the highest it’s ever been. After WW2, the composition became much more specialised due to threats aside from war, like terrorism and guerrilla warfare. The amount of infantry soldiers dropped heavily, with only 40,000 going to Iraq in 2003. This was all due to attitudes in society.
Why was the need for infantry at Iraq less than in the world wars
As with the introduction of UAVs and PGMs, people didn’t need to go onto the battlefield as much. Also the importance of tanks and planes increased heavily meaning soldiers were needed to use these big vehicles
How did the experience of civilians change in terms of government and individuals (give examples)
The government chose for the civilians to be targeted to lower morale. This was seen with the blitz and the Dresden bombing
How did the experience of civilians change in terms of science and technology, linking to weapons
With the production of nuclear weapons, civilians felt at risk the most as nuclear bombs were designed to kill hundreds of thousands at one time
What was the main reason that weapons changed
Science and technology
What was the main reason that the composition of the army changed
Science and technology
What was the main reason recruitment and training changed
Government and individuals
What was the main reason the experience of civilians changed
Government and individuals
What is national service
The compulsory act of serving in the army for a set number of years
When and for how long was conscription active
1916 (in prep for the Somme) until mid 1960s
How does media influence civilians
It allows us to see the true horrors of war and how much the soldiers suffer. Especially through video footage which is relatively new
How has communication improved
Radios now have a much higher range so soldiers can communicate from all the way across the battlefield.
What form of attacks were only used in WW1
Chemical/ gas attacks
What form of warfare was used in WW1
Trench warfare
What giant machinery was introduced at the Battle of the Somme
Tanks
What banned poisonous gas in warfare
Geneva protocol
How many women worked in factories during the battle of the Somme
2.9 mill
What new weapons were introduced throughout the period
PGMS, IEDs, Nuclear weapons, fighter jets, bombs, tanks
Why did weapons adapt
To have higher firing rates/ longer ranges
How did nuclear weapons affect the composition of the army
It reduced it as there was less of a need for soldiers
What was introduced to try and get people to willingly fight
Propaganda
What, in terms of recruitment, did civilians have no fear of as of the 1970s
Conscription and requisition
When was the Iraq war
2003
