The FlamethrowerThe Flamethrower was invented in Germany, in the year 1901. It was invented by a man named Robert Fielder. The purpose of the Flamethrower was to spread fire by launching burning fuel. It was first used by the Germans in the Battle of Hooge in Flanders, Belgium. Later on in the war, flamethrowers would be used by Great Britain and France as well.
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Jenna Trivette
The Impacts and Consequences of the FlamethrowerBefore the Battle of Hooge, the Flamethrower had never really been seen so when the Germans attacked, the British opposition wasn't prepared for a weapon like that. The Germans won that battle and the Flamethrower became a widespread basis across all battle fronts.
This weapon impacted many people during the war. Soldiers and civilians near the front lines could be burned and killed because Flamethrowers were mostly used on the front lines. It could also impact the decisions of the leaders of warring nations by how they chose to fight. The leaders didn't want all their soldiers burned to death so they had to come up with a new way to fight without losing too many men. Flamethrowers were both helpful and terrible when it came to war. They could help take out enemy lines but at a horrible cost. It also caused many soldiers to be burned to death. |
Connections to Today
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Since World War 1, Flamethrowers haven't changed all that much. Modern Flamethrowers can now be mounted to military vehicles or carried by soldiers. Some Flamethrowers can now project fire 100 meters and incinerate targets within a matter of a few seconds. In 1978 the U.S. Department of Defense decided to remove Flamethrowers from the U.S. weapons arsenal because soldiers were stating that the Flamethrower just wasn't effective in modern combat. Previous to this happening the weapon was used in both World Wars, the Korean and Vietnam wars. During those wars the Flamethrower was used for destroying forts, vehicles and bunkers that belonged to the enemy. They were also used to create terror for enemy soldiers who were afraid of being burned alive.
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Work Citied: http://www.firstworldwar.com/weaponry/flamethrowers.htm