World War II is known for its rapid offensives, with gains of territory measured in miles or more, while after 1914 World War I warfare was practically static. What changed?
Two important inventions occurred, or were perfected, between the wars. One was the tank. While there were tanks in World War 1, they were slow, mechanically unreliable, and in any case did not appear in large numbers until 1917. Tanks in World War 2, on the other hand, could move at 20-30 miles per hour. Tanks were not only good at rolling over barbed wire and other defenses that could stop infantry cold, but their speed allowed them to exploit a breakthrough faster than enemy infantry could stop it. Tanks would rapidly advance, shoot up enemy headquarters and supplies, thereby giving the attacker the advantage. Defenses could be constructed that could stop tanks, but these had to be very large and elaborate-a scale that could not be done successfully over a lone hundreds of miles long. The second invention was even more important: the portable radio. This allowed the attackers to stay in contact with their rear areas (command and artillery). Because the commanders could be kept abrea
Related Questions
- World War II is known for its rapid offensives, with gains of territory measured in miles or more, while after 1914 World War I warfare was practically static. What changed?
- You e still best known for rugby and were part of the England World Cup winning squad - whats gone wrong?
- How were student reading gains measured?
