Dbq Gunpowder

2:Another reason why gunpowder revolutionized Europe was the transition from medieval artillery to modern artillery that contained gunpowder. After the powder was spread along the Silk Road in the 13th century, it landed in the hands of Europeans seeking a more prominent way of using the powder. Before gunpowder, medieval artillery was based of heavy swords, iron armor, axes, knives, and arrows. These items were the basis of medieval artillery and only men who have trained for many years could obtain these weapons. The weapons were used for another 500 years before gunpowder was introduced, and some of the items started to involve the technology of the powder. For example, regular arrows soon transitioned to arrows with tubes of gunpowder on

them causing them to set fire when reaching the enemy. In the 14th century, medieval artillery had been obliterated due to completely dominance of gunpowder on the battlefields with cannons, guns, rifles, firearms, and more. The invention of the cannon specifically sped up the transition to modern artillery. Europeans first invented the cannon during the mid 13th century when they noticed that the shape and workings of a church bell could lead to a ultimate weapon of destruction.

The cannons were assembled with barrels and long wooden cores that were hammered together and then filled with molten hot iron to secure any cracks. When Europeans tested a cannons use at war, they often exploded because the gunpowders explosions was too strong compared to canon itself. A primary source that indicates gunpowder was a transition to modern artillery from medieval is this image. The primary source shows two men battling, one with medieval artillery and one with more modern artillery. The image was created during the 14th century which indicates that Europeans were familiar with gunpowder and were tampering with it. It also shows a man fiddling with a cannon and a trebuchet at the same time. The action of the image was against two men that appeared to be fighting with different weapons that represented different time periods. The man on the far left was on top of a castle with a crossbow dressed in iron armor, which represented the medieval age. The man fighting on the far right was located on the ground loading cannons while the trebuchet is untouched in the

background. A trebuchet is a weapon that is loaded with stones and is flung at large walls or areas, commonly used in the middle ages.

The image indicates that the man on the bottom has forgotten about the trebuchet and is more focused on the cannons abilities because of the gunpowders tactics. Since the cannon is increasingly more compelling than the trebuchet, men in the Middle Age started to transition to gunpowder- based technology knowing that gunpowder was more effective and powerful. The image could also be seen as soldiers thinking that cannons are more of a effective weapon since it’s chosen over the trebuchet. Gunpowder was the primary propellant in cannons by making the cannon fire the iron/steel ball to its enemies. It drove the ball upward causing a smokey effect resulting in a large sound from the kinetic energy towards the heavy ball. By 1350, cannons and other gunpowder based weapons were regularly used in the English and French armies. Therefore, the transition from medieval artillery to modern artillery truly impacted the fighting style in Europe. Gunpowder gave warfare a fresh start to create powerful weapons that ultimately made Europe and many more places stronger in the long run. In the end, there was now a quicker way to defeat an entire army more sufficiently and

faster.
3:Another reason why gunpowder impacted Europe was because it contributed to the fall of feudalism which helped form a new modern era. Gunpowder was created during the bridge of the old world and the forming of the new world. It helped contribute to the new world because old world warfare was being left behind and replaced by gunpowder. Before gunpowder, the code of chivalry was the behavioral guide for all social and class relationships in the medieval age. It was the base of warfare itself because in order to fight, one would have to train for years before being able to be on the battlefield. Either that, or one with wealth and power could bargain there way on the battlefield. So when gunpowder was introduced, it ended the code of chivalry which resulted in the fall of feudalism. It ended the code of chivalry since men didn’t have to work as hard to be on the battlefield anymore since guns could be used by anyone. Chivalry was a major part of feudalism because it made up the relationships between lords, serfs, and kings. When chivalry ended, gunpowder took over its position and acted as a new way for men to fight easier and more substantial. Gunpowder was also a big threat to the church as well which collided with the fall of feudalism. If lords and kings could obtain gunpowder they could use it against the churches. Along with the power, the extremely large gunpowder quantity made Europe the head of colonization. Without gunpowder than the history would of played out very differently since there would still have stone weapons, chivalry like relationships, and similar things from the medieval ages. Therefore, with the new world approaching, gunpowder impacted Europe in this sense because without it, the world would be using steel weaponry still. It enhanced our power and was even a threat to the church because it was so powerful. Like said, it made Europe the head of colonization which meant that it controlled everything and everyone. Even the church was competing against gunpowder for power.