How did Germany develop the V-2, the world’s first ballistic missile?
Germany’s loss in World War I (1914-1918) influenced its emergence as the first country to actively pursue development of military rockets. The 1919 Versailles Treaty that ended the war placed severe restrictions on German military forces, including a proscription against heavy artillery. Consequently, leaders of Germany’s post-war army began looking for new armaments that would increase the fighting power of their limited forces without violating the Treaty. Rockets, which were not restricted by the Treaty, offered Germany such a potential weapon. In 1929 Germany began research and development of short-range rockets for military purposes. Within a few years the army decided to explore the prospects of developing a long-range rocket as a replacement for heavy artillery. In 1932 the German Army hired a brilliant, twenty year old engineering doctoral candidate named Wernher von Braun to head up their rocket research program. Two years later, in December 1934, he successfully completed tw
