There are many events in modern history that altered the course of humanity forever. From the Golden Age to Prohibition, America went through many major changes throughout its journey through time. One of the most important events that brought about significant change to the country was the advent and participation in World War II. This was brought many developments that would allow militaries and navies to completely change their fighting tactics. There were new ways to destroy the enemy and showcase power to the rest of the world. This brought about the introduction of total war, which refers to the lack of limitations and lengths that armies are willing to go to to win. To this day, these tactics are used commonly in war and conflict resolution is highly dependent on them. World War II completely changed the way that wars were fought, and the developments that came out of this conflict paved the way for modern warfare tactics: the three most game-changing developments from this time were radar, aerial warfare, and nuclear weapons.
Radar was developed just before World War II began for use during the conflict. In 1942 all of the navy forces were given updated radar equipment that could track German submarines much further than the earlier software. This allowed them to tap into German communication systems to find the location of submarines and target them for aerial attack. It also allowed American forces to use radio codes to tap into the Japanese lines of communication. Therefore, when the Japanese planned to cut off Allied trade routes by ambushing them with their navy, the Americans were prepared and outnumbered the Japanese fleet. The accuracy that radar gave to the Allied forces is the main reason that they were able to defeat Germany. Today, radar technology is used in many different ways, from communications to weapons and GPS tracking devices. Radio signals and frequencies are used commonly in the army to allow for smooth communication and coordination, and to this day radar remains extremely important in determining routes and directions for the troops.
Aerial warfare allowed the allied forces to attack from above, something that had not been done before. Air attacks were particularly beneficial in the beginning years of the war because they could take out enemy submarines and ships with ease, while protecting their own navy from attack. The most well known example of this success was the sinking of the German ship Bismarck in May of 1941 by a torpedo dropped out of an airplane over the Atlantic Ocean. This was a major success for the allied powers and offered them proof that this type of battle was going to be effective in winning the war. By 1943, roughly half of the German vessels that had been sunk were done so by air attack. Airplanes were also used for defence of army camps, forts, and ships because it made it easier for the armies to hit targets further away, before they got too close. Today’s soldiers rely on aerial warfare for many things, including strategic bombing, transporting troops or rations, and spying or determining enemy locations. Aircrafts were also beneficial in delivering and executing the most revolutionary, and dangerous, weapon that had ever been developed: the atomic bomb.
Nuclear weapons developed because of the opportunity that came from the available aircrafts and easier bombing positions. Bombs could now be created and dropped out of the sky on regions or villages below. This completely changed modern warfare because the army now had weapons of mass destruction to use at their disposal and could take out entire villages with the touch of a button. Nuclear weapons were developed in the United States through the Manhattan Project, which was led by top scientists Albert Einstein and Leo Szilard. In 1939, Einstein and Szilard successfully discovered how to split an atom, which would lead to the creation of the atomic bomb. The atomic bomb was then later dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, on August 6th and 9th, respectively. This killed hundreds of thousands of people, both civilians and combatants, and triggered the surrender of Japan. While Hiroshima and Nagasaki were the only events that saw the use of nuclear weapons in practice, the fact that they existed caused a feeling of panic and fear to spread throughout the world. An arms race resulted, leading up to the Cold War between the United States and Russia. Therefore, nuclear weapons changed the course of modern warfare because people saw that it was now possible to have weapons that could destroy large sections of land, killing many people. Total war had begun and extremely dangerous weapons were becoming involved, which meant that perceptions and opinions of war were beginning to change. In today’s wars, bombs are the primary weapon used.
World War II was one of the most important battles in modern history because of the important developments it brought about that changed the course of warfare: radar, aerial warfare, and nuclear weapons. These developments have caused an entire shift in the way that modern wars are fought, and they are the most important out of all of the developments of the war because of their connection with one another and their ability to change the way that weapons are used. Radar is utilized on aircrafts in conjunction with the deployment of nuclear weapons, as the radar detects where the plane is flying and where the bomb will be dropped. Technology plays a major role in deploying operations and keeping soldiers at bay.
Bibliography
Craig, Campbell and Radchenko, Sergey. The Atomic Bomb and the Origins of the Cold War.
New Haven: Yale University Press, 2008.
Townshend, Charles. The Oxford History of Modern War. Great Britain: Oxford University
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