The falchion was conceptualized in the 11th century.it was a derivitve of both the scimitar and the machete.due to its low consumption of resources neccessary for construction,the falchion became a staple weapon of the dark ages and was mass produced by blacksmiths across the region;as there was a large demand for them.the falchion was soon incorporated into military training exercises.two designs of the falchion developed as close combat tactics developed.as new armor and techniques were devied;new weapon designs were created to rebut the strengths of the opposing variable.the first design was known as the cusped falchion.the cusped falchion bore a sharp tip allowing for thrusting techniques to be used as well as slashing.as the point narrowed the blade elongated and narrowed allowing for greater reach and quicker retraction.the cleaver falchion was the original design of the falchion.the cleaver falchion resembled the scimitar and machete in design,likely influenced by these designs.the curvature of the blade allowed greater apportionments of the blade to be concentrated at the en...
as thought it was an axe. It would hack away until the head came off. After all the chopping, the blade would often become dull. Throughout the revolution the blade was changed, it became angled. The angling of the blade helped to kill faster. It would not become dull as quickly and it would slice straight through without having to chop. The blade was made from steel and weighed about 40 kgs. To work the blade it was pulled to the top of the contraption then released with the cord to give it a quick reaction. With the quickness of the blade it was estimated that it took about .75th of a second to be guillotined.
Firearms: A Global History to 1700 provides a knowledgeable narrative on why there were such stark differences between the militaries of Europe and Asia, as well as other societies in and around the Oikoumene. This monograph will appeal to anyone interested in learning about the development of firearms and its close relationship with
Long distance weapons were essential to European combat. The main long distance weapons used by Europeans during that time were the longbow and the crossbow. Each form of weaponry had its unique advantages and their pejorative. The long bow (shown in figure 1) was the original form of distance weapons. The term ‘bow’ means to be made from wood, iron or steel. The Welsh, who inhabited England, were the first people to use longbows. Longbows were 6-7 feet long and had a range of 250 yards, and still had the ability to pierce a knight’s armor (Byam 12). A well trained archer could shot 10- 12 arrows in a single minute. Despite these pro’s the longbow had a lot of disadvantages as well. One draw back was only skilled archers, who were costly to train, could use a longbow. Another disadvantage was it didn’t have a ready loaded arrow (Edge 34). The crossbow (shown in figure 2) on the other had been emphatically different. The crossbow had a span of 2-3 feet and could kill a knight on horseback with one shot, because of good aim (Byam 30). Crossbows had ready loaded projectiles, while the longbow didn’t and the crossbow could be used by anyone since it didn’t require any skill. The crossbow did have a down side though, it had slow reloaded because of a crank and it was expensive. Crossbows were also used for other thi...
At the time when humans were learning to use spears constructed out of sticks and stones and the
Grundberg, Andy. "A Dangerous Weapon." The American Scholar:. American Scholar, 1 Jan. 2008. Web. 8 May 2014. .
Several sources were used to collect information about the weapons described in this project. Most of the sources used were web pages. There is one book source. The project will also include a presentation complete with pictures and lecture for each of the weapons in the written report.
During the American Civil War, which lasted from 1861-1865, over 620,000 accounted soldiers were killed. Known as the "the first modern war", historians generally agree that the reason for this was because this was a time of transition for the military. Armies and Navies were still using tactics where they would gather large forces of firepower to bear on the enemy. At the same time, weapons were being developed which were accurate and lethal well beyond any arms of the earlier conflicts. As a result of these two conditions many more casualties were sustained. Add to that the lack of medical knowledge of disease and infection and the numbers truly began to grow. This paper is an overview of the types of weaponry that was used during this time.
Williams, John. "Chapter 8." World Atlas of Weapons & War. London: Aldus, 1976. 96-111. Print.
A majority of weapons used in World War II were improved weapons from World War II. Most guns increased in power and abilities. In World War II people thought that pistols were useless but this was proved wrong due to the fact that the U.S. Mi...
Though little remains of the tillers or prods of these early Roman crossbows, at least one nut has been found intact. This nut is cylindrical, with fingers cut into the top to hold a string, and a seer notch cut into the underside. It is center-bored for an axle. The cuts are more severe than on later examples, thus making the nut flatter than those found on more modern pieces. This artifact, with its easily recognizable geometry, proves the technical similarities between these and much later crossbows. One other artifact is a turned knob that is thought to be the handle end of the tiller. Depictions in column carvings and stone reliefs at Solignac France help confirm this speculation. These images show short, carbine-type tillers with lathe turned handles fitted with massive prods, often stylized in keeping with artistic representation of the period. These prods were not likely to be the severe recurves shown in these depictions. They were more probably simple wooden straight bows. It is likely that at least some of these were of simple composite construction, as the horn or horn and wood composite technology was kn...
[World war one -weapons]. (2013, February 25). Retrieved November, 2000, from War and Military Records website: http://www.historyonthenet.com/WW1/weapons.htm
... century was a time when the weapons of warfare took on a rebirth and the force of the armies greatly increased. The handheld weapon alone became quicker and easier to manage and thus deadlier then ever. This was through the development of the shape, size, and texture of the swords and mace. The siege weapons also became so effective that the castles were no loner effective enough to stop the onslaught brought on by the catapults and ballistae. Both of these weapons were so effective that new architectural designs were needed for the castles. The missile weapons most likely had the greatest evolution, from the somewhat primitive design of bow and arrows to the rather modern introduction of the matchlock musket. The advances in weaponry were a gigantic step into the direction weapon technology we see today.
These kinds of weapons were impractical for military use, but attracted many people to the arms race for weapons that could sweep the battlefield. “They had limitations in practice, among them slow re...
Again, in chapter two, we find another piece where the weapon ends up being the center of focus. It is difficult to tell if any one work of art intended for the weapons to figure so prominently, but collectively there is certainly a subconscious emphasis on them.
The invention and innovation of small firearms spans throughout the world and throughout multiple centuries. The main inventions during the early phases of small arms development quickly gave way to the next innovation, although they were slow to be adapted to military use due to the cost of their production. As time went on these innovations became more and more stagnant to the point of there being no major innovations in the field for close to two hundred years. However, after this stagnant period, there began another period of advanced innovation in the area of small arms technology. The goal of this essay is to understand and dissect the innovations that occurred during these two periods of advanced innovation and the cultural and historical factors that lead to them.