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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.

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Key term

What were smokeless propellants?

Who and when

Why did smokeless powder change the battlefield?

Key term

What was the magazine rifle?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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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