Edexcel A-Level History 9HI0
The Crusades, c1095–1204Paper 1
England, 1509–1603: Authority, Nation and ReligionPaper 1
Britain, 1625–1701: Conflict, Revolution and SettlementPaper 1
Britain, c1785–c1870: Democracy, Protest and ReformPaper 1
Russia, 1917–91: From Lenin to YeltsinPaper 1
In Search of the American Dream: The USA, c1917–96Paper 1
Germany and West Germany, 1918–89Paper 1
Britain Transformed, 1918–97Paper 1
Anglo-Saxon England and the Anglo-Norman Kingdom, c1053–1106Paper 2
England and the Angevin Empire in the Reign of Henry II, 1154–89Paper 2
Luther and the German Reformation, c1515–55Paper 2
The Dutch Revolt, c1563–1609Paper 2
France in Revolution, 1774–99Paper 2
Russia in Revolution, 1894–1924Paper 2
The Unification of Italy, c1830–70Paper 2
The Unification of Germany, c1840–71Paper 2
Mao’s China, 1949–76Paper 2
The German Democratic Republic, 1949–90Paper 2
India, c1914–48: The Road to IndependencePaper 2
South Africa, 1948–94: From Apartheid State to ‘Rainbow Nation’Paper 2
The Rise and Fall of Fascism in Italy, c1911–46Paper 2
Spain, 1930–78: Republicanism, Francoism and the Re-Establishment of DemocracyPaper 2
The USA, c1920–55: Boom, Bust and RecoveryPaper 2
The USA, 1955–92: Conformity and ChallengePaper 2
Lancastrians, Yorkists and Henry VII, 1399–1509Paper 3
Rebellion and Disorder Under the Tudors, 1485–1603Paper 3
The Golden Age of Spain, 1474–1598Paper 3
The Witch Craze in Britain, Europe and North America, c1580–c1750Paper 3
Industrialisation and Social Change in Britain, 1759–1928: Forging a New SocietyPaper 3
Poverty, Public Health and the State in Britain, c1780–1939Paper 3
Britain: Losing and Gaining an Empire, 1763–1914Paper 3
The British Experience of Warfare, c1790–1918Paper 3
Protest, Agitation and Parliamentary Reform in Britain, c1780–1928Paper 3
Ireland and the Union, c1774–1923Paper 3
The Changing Nature of Warfare, 1859–1991: Perception and RealityPaper 3
Germany, 1871–1990: United, Divided and ReunitedPaper 3
The Making of Modern Russia, 1855–1991Paper 3
The Making of Modern China, 1860–1997Paper 3
Civil Rights and Race Relations in the USA, 1850–2009Paper 3
Mass Media and Social Change in Britain, 1882–2004Paper 3
The Changing Nature of Warfare, 1859–1991: Perception and Reality
Smokeless propellants and machine guns before 1914
- 3 things to know
- Paper 3
Overview
Recall questions on what smokeless powder changed, the magazine rifle, the Maxim gun and its colonial use, and the pre-war cult of the offensive.
What you need to know
Answer each one before you reveal it.
Why did smokeless powder change the battlefield?
What was the magazine rifle?
Questions from this subtopic
Each one with the model answer underneath.
- 1
What was the impact of smokeless propellants?
Model answer
By removing tell-tale battlefield smoke they allowed concealed firing positions and made defensive fire more accurate and deadly.
- 2
How did the machine gun affect military thought before 1914?
Model answer
It hugely strengthened the defence, yet pre-war planners underestimated it and continued to favour the offensive.
- 3
What were smokeless propellants?
Model answer
Nitrocellulose powders introduced from the 1880s which replaced black powder, giving higher velocity, longer range and no cloud of smoke.
- 4
Why did smokeless powder change the battlefield?
Model answer
The defender became invisible, so attackers advanced against fire from an enemy they could not locate, which made concealment and dispersal essential.
- 5
What was the magazine rifle?
Model answer
Bolt-action rifles such as the Lee-Enfield and Mauser holding several rounds, which combined with smokeless powder gave infantry rapid accurate fire to 1,000 yards.
- 6
How did the machine gun develop before 1914?
Model answer
From the hand-cranked Gatling to Maxim's recoil-operated gun of 1884, which fired 600 rounds a minute continuously from a single crew.
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