DOCSLIB.ORG

Industrial Modernization and the American Civil War Corey Patrick Gray

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Industrial Modernization and the American Civil War Corey Patrick Gray Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2015 Industrial Modernization and the American Civil War Corey Patrick Gray Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES INDUSTRIAL MODERNIZATION AND THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR By COREY PATRICK GRAY A Thesis submitted to the Department of History in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts 2015 Corey Patrick Gray defended this thesis on April 27, 2015. The members of the supervisory committee were: Michael Creswell Professor Directing Thesis Ronald E. Doel Committee Member G. Kurt Piehler Committee Member The Graduate School has verified and approved the above-named committee members, and certifies that the thesis has been approved in accordance with university requirements. ii This thesis is dedicated to my wife, who has been steadfast in her support and encouragement. It is also dedicated to Michael Creswell, my mentor and friend, who taught me that a steadfast focus on the fundamentals and constancy are key ingredients for success, no matter the endeavor. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Dr. Michael Creswell has been the ideal thesis supervisor. His sage advice, insightful criticisms, and patient encouragement aided the writing of this thesis in innumerable ways. I would also like to thank Dr. Nancy Marcus, Dean of Graduate Studies, whose steadfast support of this project was greatly needed and deeply appreciated. To Dr. Neil Jumonville for his tireless support and encouragement. To Dr. Matt Childs that taught me to strive for richer context in the historical narrative. To Dr. Ron Doel and Dr. Kurt Piehler for their support and encouragement in finalizing this work. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract .................................................................................................................................................................... vi INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER ONE: THEORY AND DEFINITIONS ............................................................................................ 5 Methods and Procedure ........................................................................................................................... 5 Defining Terms ...........................................................................................................................................13 CHAPTER TWO: THE SOCIAL PILLAR .........................................................................................................24 Social Cohesion ..........................................................................................................................................24 Social Disruption .......................................................................................................................................30 Social Fracture ...........................................................................................................................................49 CHAPTER THREE: THE POLITICAL PILLAR .............................................................................................52 Political Cohesion ......................................................................................................................................52 Political Disruption...................................................................................................................................66 Political Fracture .......................................................................................................................................71 CHAPTER FOUR: THE MILITARY PILLAR..................................................................................................75 Military Cohesion ......................................................................................................................................75 Military Disruption ...................................................................................................................................89 Military Fracture .................................................................................................................................... 100 CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................................................................... 120 REFERENCES ..................................................................................................................................................... 123 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH ............................................................................................................................... 133 v ABSTRACT What explains why and how America fought the Civil War? This thesis argues that a multi-disciplinary approach is a useful analytical tool for understanding the causes of the American Civil War beyond the scope that a single discipline can provide. This study does not portend to rebut or replace the contributions made by the single-disciplinary approach, but rather to build a contextual picture based on their individual contributions. The result of this process reveals that the Industrial Revolution was a catalyst that explains why many of the events happened the way that they did. The argument is developed by reviewing the social, political, and military events of the era in relation to each other through the lens of industrialization. This work will show that the American Industrial Revolution lay at the core of the social, political, and military events that sparked and shaped this great conflict. Understanding the causes of human events is as critical as understanding their effects. By grasping the root causes of the war, we can better understand how and why it was fought. This study provides theof contextAmerican needed society, to understandAmerican politics, the reasons and the for countrys the American military Civil establishment War and why it was fought the way it was. vi INTRODUCTION Atlanta lay smoldering in ruin as he methodically marched toward his next objective like a locomotive railroads, factories,. Amid and screamsurban population and pleas, centers. he destroyed He had many conditioned of the Souths himself most to critical systematically destroy the enemy center of gravity,1 wherever it may lie. In a classic hammer and anvil operation, General William T. Sherman swung his army through the South to meet up with the massive army assembled by General Ulysses S. Grant to deliver 2 the decisiveThis studyblow thatis about would the end origins Americas of the bloodiestAmerican war.Civil War. In it I argue that long before a shot was fired, before angry mobs protested slavery in city streets, there was a spark that started it all. In the heart of burgeoning towns the length of the country, the hiss and whirring of industrial machinery changed America in unimaginable ways. As the wheels of steel churned, they set into motion a chain of events that made conflict seemingly inevitable. It is often the conclusion of a war that offers a moment for reflection, yet to understand the American Civil War one must first understand its root causes. This war had been an especially brutal one. In it brother was pitted against brother in an epic contest that nearly tore the country apart. Although the war has long since concluded, certain fundamental questions remain unsettled. Those lingering questions help drive this study. Why did they fight? What was the ultimate cause of the American Civil War? Why did it change so drastically from its beginning to its end? Answers to these questions would help make sense of the carnage and reveal essential truths about the country during that period. The importance of understanding what caused the war is paramount. Failure to understand the causes of the Civil War would relegate us to a sifting through a seemingly endless list of facts, dates, battles, and names devoid of context. We must understand the facts of the Civil War in relation to each other. This context will provide a base for 1 Clausewitz defines the center of gravity as the place where the most decisive blow can be cast to crush the will of the opposition. The center of gravity need not be the enemy fighting force. As we will see, as the war became modern, the center of gravity shifted from the battlefields to the factories. Carl von Clausewitz, On War, Michael Howard and Peter Paret, Trans. and eds. (New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1993), 587. 2 Charles B. Flood, Grant and Sherman: The Friendship That Won the Civil War (New York: Harper Perennial, 2005), 283. 1 understanding the forces that caused the war. When viewed in context, some well- established theories appear to have been over emphasized. Conversely, other obvious, but less promoted ideas become particularly insightful. I have found this to be the case with the explanations of slavery, the economy, and the American Industrial Revolution respectively. Military historians generally conclude that the war was fought over slavery, the economy, or they sidestep the question altogether to focus on narrower issues.3 When viewed in context to one another, slavery and the economy become two critical points along the continuum of a larger narrative. They are not, in and of themselves, sufficient to explain the cause of the
Load more

Recommended publications
  • World War I Concept Learning Outline Objectives
    AP European History: Period 4.1 Teacher’s Edition World War I Concept Learning Outline Objectives I. Long-term causes of World War I 4.1.I.A INT-9 A. Rival alliances: Triple Alliance vs. Triple Entente SP-6/17/18 1. 1871: The balance of power of Europe was upset by the decisive Prussian victory in the Franco-Prussian War and the creation of the German Empire. a. Bismarck thereafter feared French revenge and negotiated treaties to isolate France. b. Bismarck also feared Russia, especially after the Congress of Berlin in 1878 when Russia blamed Germany for not gaining territory in the Balkans. 2. In 1879, the Dual Alliance emerged: Germany and Austria a. Bismarck sought to thwart Russian expansion. b. The Dual Alliance was based on German support for Austria in its struggle with Russia over expansion in the Balkans. c. This became a major feature of European diplomacy until the end of World War I. 3. Triple Alliance, 1881: Italy joined Germany and Austria Italy sought support for its imperialistic ambitions in the Mediterranean and Africa. 4. Russian-German Reinsurance Treaty, 1887 a. It promised the neutrality of both Germany and Russia if either country went to war with another country. b. Kaiser Wilhelm II refused to renew the reinsurance treaty after removing Bismarck in 1890. This can be seen as a huge diplomatic blunder; Russia wanted to renew it but now had no assurances it was safe from a German invasion. France courted Russia; the two became allies. Germany, now out of necessity, developed closer ties to Austria.
    [Show full text]
  • Blitzkrieg: the Evolution of Modern Warfare and the Wehrmacht's
    East Tennessee State University Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University Electronic Theses and Dissertations Student Works 8-2021 Blitzkrieg: The Evolution of Modern Warfare and the Wehrmacht’s Impact on American Military Doctrine during the Cold War Era Briggs Evans East Tennessee State University Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.etsu.edu/etd Part of the History Commons Recommended Citation Evans, Briggs, "Blitzkrieg: The Evolution of Modern Warfare and the Wehrmacht’s Impact on American Military Doctrine during the Cold War Era" (2021). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 3927. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/3927 This Thesis - unrestricted is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Works at Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Blitzkrieg: The Evolution of Modern Warfare and the Wehrmacht’s Impact on American Military Doctrine during the Cold War Era ________________________ A thesis presented to the faculty of the Department of History East Tennessee State University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts in History ______________________ by Briggs Evans August 2021 _____________________ Dr. Stephen Fritz, Chair Dr. Henry Antkiewicz Dr. Steve Nash Keywords: Blitzkrieg, doctrine, operational warfare, American military, Wehrmacht, Luftwaffe, World War II, Cold War, Soviet Union, Operation Desert Storm, AirLand Battle, Combined Arms Theory, mobile warfare, maneuver warfare. ABSTRACT Blitzkrieg: The Evolution of Modern Warfare and the Wehrmacht’s Impact on American Military Doctrine during the Cold War Era by Briggs Evans The evolution of United States military doctrine was heavily influenced by the Wehrmacht and their early Blitzkrieg campaigns during World War II.
    [Show full text]
  • Joint Force Quarterly
    JFQJOINT FORCE QUARTERLY The Security of the Americas Autumn00 A PROFESSIONAL MILITARY JOURNAL ...we must find a better balance between independence and joint- ness. This is bound to be a painful process. Self-sufficiency is a kind of cultural imperative....But we simply cannot afford to configure each service’s combat forces for sustained, independent operations. The key word these days is jointness. And...jointness means depending on one another. —Merrill A. McPeak JFQ AWord fromthe MV–22 Osprey on deck of USS Essex. Chairman U.S. Navy (Jaime D. Hernandez) espite the unparalleled strength of the instances when nations failed to understand that Armed Forces, we should not become successful methods and technologies applied in complacent. Maintaining the status one conflict may be inadequate in the next. Vic- Dquo will not serve national interests. torious powers benefitted from dramatic innova- The evolving security environment of today, re- tions. Such changes, often regarded as a revolu- plete with new challenges and new opportunities, tion in military affairs (RMA), have occurred demands a capable and flexible military. Our throughout history. New technologies and their great strength is service core competencies. We applications can alter the balance of power as the must expand on them to provide seamless inter- champion of a new RMA assumes a position of operability in joint operations—our first joint dominance. Successful warfare in the Middle Ages core competency. was represented by knights in armor. To over- come them, English yeomen introduced the long- Looking Back bow—a revolution in its day—to defeat the close- In developing a transformation strategy, we in superiority of French arms in the 12th century.
    [Show full text]
  • Northcentral University
    Guerilla Warfare During 1 Running head: Guerilla Warfare During WWI and WWII . Guerilla Warfare During WWI and WWII MSG Albert Crawford United States Army Sergeants Major Academy Class 58 SGM Vidakovich 17 Mar 2008 Guerilla Warfare During 2 Abstract An amplification and Comparison of the change in the U.S. Army due to the use of Guerrilla Warfare during World War I and World War II. Illustrating positive and negative factors of the shaping of the U. S. Military due to experiences with the enemy’s use of guerrilla tactics which has caused a considerably change in fighting tactics over the years. Finally, the conclusion will synthesize the insights gained from the analysis of Guerrilla Warfare’s impact on the American military Guerilla Warfare During 3 Thesis During World War I (WWI) and World War II (WWII) there were numerous instances of guerilla warfare being used both against and by the United Sates Military. These techniques were valuable in the shaping of the military and how we would fight in the future. Outline I. Intro A. Used both by and against U.S B. TTP’s II. World War I A. New outlook B. Future doctorine III. World War II A. Need for small force B. Philippines IV. Impact of Guerrilla Warfare on WWI and WWII A. New doctrine and TTPs B. FM’s Guerilla Warfare During 4 Introduction During World War I (WWI) and World War II (WWII) there were numerous instances of guerilla warfare being used both against and by the United Sates Military. These techniques were valuable in the shaping of the military and how we would fight in the future.
    [Show full text]
  • "Artillery Lends Dignity to What Otherwise Would Be a Common Brawl": an Essay on Post-Modern Warfare and the Classification of Captured Adversaries
    Pace International Law Review Volume 14 Issue 1 Spring 2002 Article 5 April 2002 "Artillery Lends Dignity to What Otherwise Would Be a Common Brawl": An Essay on Post-Modern Warfare and the Classification of Captured Adversaries Ralph Michael Stein Pace University School of Law, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.pace.edu/pilr Recommended Citation Ralph Michael Stein, "Artillery Lends Dignity to What Otherwise Would Be a Common Brawl": An Essay on Post-Modern Warfare and the Classification of Captured Adversaries, 14 Pace Int'l L. Rev. 133 (2002) Available at: https://digitalcommons.pace.edu/pilr/vol14/iss1/5 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the School of Law at DigitalCommons@Pace. It has been accepted for inclusion in Pace International Law Review by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@Pace. For more information, please contact [email protected]. "ARTILLERY LENDS DIGNITY TO WHAT OTHERWISE WOULD BE A COMMON BRAWL": AN ESSAY ON POST-MODERN WARFARE AND THE CLASSIFICATION OF CAPTURED ADVERSARIES Ralph Michael Stein* I. Introduction ....................................... 133 II. What is "War" in a Post-Modernist America? ...... 134 III. Warfare Moves in Two Contradictory Directions .. 140 IV. The Protection of Prisoners of War ................ 141 V. And Now, What Do We Do With the Taliban and Al Qaeda Fighters? ....... ......................... 148 1. INTRODUCTION As this essay is written many individuals believed to have adhered to the cause of terrorist activities against the United States, including participation in or support of the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York and at the Pentagon building, are in U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Female Patriotism in the Great War
    Female Patriotism in the Great War Professor Nicoletta F. Gullace, University of New Hampshire But the educated man’s sister – what does “patriotism” mean to her? – Virginia Woolf, Three Guineas (1938) While Virginia Woolf felt that “the educated man’s sister” lacked entirely his reasons for “being proud of England, for loving England, for defending England,” she had little choice but to concede that during World War I, such women threw themselves into the war effort with astonishing patriotic fervour. How, Woolf asked, can we explain “that amazing outburst in August 1914, when the daughters of educated men ... rushed into hospitals, some still attended by their maids, drove lorries, worked in fields and munitions factories, and used all their immense stores of charm ... to persuade young men that to fight was heroic, and that the wounded in battle deserved all her care and all her praise? ” Her answer lies in the visceral antipathy she believed middle class women felt towards their insular domestic education. “So profound was her unconscious loathing for the education of the private house ... that she would undertake any task however menial, exercise any fascination however fatal that enabled her to escape”(Woolf, p. 39). Woolf’s estimation of the motivations of women who threw themselves into war work contained more than a grain of truth. For many middle-class women the opportunity to escape the limitations of their sex roles by engaging in war work was irresistible. Yet for many of these same women, and for the thousands of working-class women who took up war work in munitions factories, in transportation industries, and on the land, the lure of wartime wages, along with a love of country shared with their men – however undeserving “England” may have been of such affection – motivated those who undertook the myriad of activities recorded in this unique collection of documents and photographs [Volunteer Corps 1-9].
    [Show full text]
  • The Evolution of U.S. Military Policy from the Constitution to the Present
    C O R P O R A T I O N The Evolution of U.S. Military Policy from the Constitution to the Present Gian Gentile, Michael E. Linick, Michael Shurkin For more information on this publication, visit www.rand.org/t/RR1759 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available for this publication. ISBN: 978-0-8330-9786-6 Published by the RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, Calif. © Copyright 2017 RAND Corporation R® is a registered trademark. Limited Print and Electronic Distribution Rights This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law. This representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for noncommercial use only. Unauthorized posting of this publication online is prohibited. Permission is given to duplicate this document for personal use only, as long as it is unaltered and complete. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of its research documents for commercial use. For information on reprint and linking permissions, please visit www.rand.org/pubs/permissions. The RAND Corporation is a research organization that develops solutions to public policy challenges to help make communities throughout the world safer and more secure, healthier and more prosperous. RAND is nonprofit, nonpartisan, and committed to the public interest. RAND’s publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors. Support RAND Make a tax-deductible charitable contribution at www.rand.org/giving/contribute www.rand.org Preface Since the earliest days of the Republic, American political and military leaders have debated and refined the national approach to providing an Army to win the nation’s independence and provide for its defense against all enemies, foreign and domestic.
    [Show full text]
  • Lessons from Modern Warfare: What the Conflicts of the Post–Cold War Years Should Have Taught Us
    FALL 2013 Vol. 7, No. 3 Commentaries The Need for a Strong US Nuclear Deterrent in the Twenty-First Century Franklin C. Miller Space: Tomorrow and Beyond Lt Gen Garry Trexler, USAF, Retired Lessons from Modern Warfare: What the Conflicts of the Post–Cold War Years Should Have Taught Us Benjamin S. Lambeth FALL 2013 FALL Missile Defenses and Nuclear Arms Reductions: Moving Deterrence Forward, or Backward? Stephen J. Cimbala Scramble in the South China Sea: Regional Conflict and US Strategy Lt Col Aaron W. Steffens, USAF Astroimpolitic: Organizing Outer Space by the Sword Maj Matthew Burris, USAF Book Essay Decade of War: No Lessons Endure Col Richard Szafranski, USAF, Retired Chief of Staff, US Air Force Gen Mark A. Welsh III Commander, Air Education and Training Command Gen Edward A. Rice Jr. Commander and President, Air University Lt Gen David S. Fadok Director, Air Force Research Institute Lt Gen Allen G. Peck, USAF, Retired Editorial Staff Col W. Michael Guillot, USAF, Retired, Editor CAPT Jerry L. Gantt, USNR, Retired, Content Editor Nedra O. Looney, Prepress Production Manager Tammi K. Dacus, Editorial Assistant Daniel M. Armstrong, Illustrator Advisors Gen Michael P. C. Carns, USAF, Retired Lt Gen Allen G. Peck, USAF, Retired Christina Goulter-Zervoudakis, PhD Colin S. Gray, DPhil Robert P. Haffa, PhD Charlotte Ku, PhD Benjamin S. Lambeth, PhD John T. LaSaine, PhD Allan R. Millett, PhD Contributing Editors Air Force Research Institute Panayotis Yannakogeorgos, PhD School of Advanced Air and Space Studies Stephen D. Chiabotti, PhD James W. Forsyth Jr., PhD The Spaatz Center Edwina S. Campbell, PhD Charles E.
    [Show full text]
  • Cross-Domain Coercion: the Current Russian Art of Strategy ______
    PPrroolliiffeerraattiioonn PPaappeerrss 5544 ______________________________________________________________________ Cross-Domain Coercion: The Current Russian Art of Strategy ______________________________________________________________________ Dmitry (Dima) Adamsky November 2015 Security Studies Center The Institut Français des Relations Internationales (Ifri) is a research center and a forum for debate on major international political and economic issues. Headed by Thierry de Montbrial since its founding in 1979, Ifri is a non-governmental, non-profit organization. As an independent think tank, Ifri sets its own research agenda, publishing its findings regularly for a global audience. Using an interdisciplinary approach, Ifri brings together political and economic decision-makers, researchers and internationally renowned experts to animate its debate and research activities. With offices in Paris and Brussels, Ifri stands out as one of the rare French think tanks to have positioned itself at the very heart of European debate. The opinions expressed in this text are the responsibility of the author alone. In collaboration with the Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission ISBN: 978-2-36567-466-9 © Ifri – 2015 – All rights reserved Ifri Ifri-Bruxelles 27 rue de la Procession Rue Marie-Thérèse, 21 75740 Paris Cedex 15 – FRANCE 1000 – Brussels – BELGIUM Tel : 33 (0)1 40 61 60 00 Tel : 32 (0)2 238 51 10 Fax : 33 (0)1 40 61 60 60 Fax : 32 (0)2 238 51 15 Email : [email protected] Email : [email protected] Website : http://www.ifri.org/ Proliferation Papers Though it has long been a concern for security experts, proliferation has truly become an important political issue with the last decade, marked simultaneously by the nuclearization of South Asia, the weakening of international regimes and the discovery of frauds and traffics, the number and gravity of which have surprised observers and analysts alike (Iraq in 1991, Libya until 2004, North Korean and Iranian programs or the A.
    [Show full text]
  • Law of War Handbook 2005
    LAW OF WAR HANDBOOK (2005) MAJ Keith E. Puls Editor 'Contributing Authors Maj Derek Grimes, USAF Lt Col Thomas Hamilton, USMC MAJ Eric Jensen LCDR William O'Brien, USN MAJ Keith Puls NIAJ Randolph Swansiger LTC Daria Wollschlaeger All of the faculty who have served before us and contributed to the literature in the field of operational law. Technical Support CDR Brian J. Bill, USN Ms. Janice D. Prince, Secretary JA 423 International and Operational Law Department The Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School Charlottesville, Virginia 22903 PREFACE The Law of War Handbook should be a start point for Judge Advocates looking for information on the Law of War. It is the second volume of a three volume set and is to be used in conjunction with the Operational Law Handbook (JA422) and the Documentary Supplement (JA424). The Operational Law Handbook covers the myriad of non-Law of War issues a deployed Judge Advocate may face and the Documentary Supplement reproduces many of the primary source documents referred to in either of the other two volumes. The Law of War Handbook is not a substitute for official references. Like operational law itself, the Handbook is a focused collection of diverse legal and practical information. The handbook is not intended to provide "the school solution" to a particular problem, but to help Judge Advocates recognize, analyze, and resolve the problems they will encounter when dealing with the Law of War. The Handbook was designed and written for the Judge Advocates practicing the Law of War. This body of law is known by several names including the Law of War, the Law of Armed Conflict and International Humanitarian Law.
    [Show full text]
  • The Time Value of Military Force in Modern Warfare the Airpower Advantage
    The Time Value of Military Force in Modern Warfare The Airpower Advantage WALTER D. GIVHAN, Major, USAF School of Advanced Airpower Studies THESIS PRESENTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE SCHOOL OF ADVANCED AIRPOWER STUDIES, MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, ALABAMA, FOR COMPLETION OF GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS, ACADEMIC YEAR 1994–95. Air University Press Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama March 1996 Disclaimer The author produced this paper in a Department of Defense school environment in the interest of academic freedom and the advancement of national defense-related concepts. The views expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense or the United States government. This publication has been reviewed by security and policy review authorities and is cleared for public release. ii Contents Chapter Page DISCLAIMER . ii ABSTRACT . v ABOUT THE AUTHOR . vii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . ix 1 INTRODUCTION . 1 Overview . 1 Methodology . 2 Definitions . 2 Limits of the Argument . 3 Notes . 3 2 TIME IN THE THEORY OF WAR . 5 War Theorists on Time . 6 Characteristics of Time in War . 7 Physical and Psychological Aspects of Time . 8 Political and Military Dynamics of Time . 9 Summary . 10 Notes . 11 3 THE ARAB-ISRAELI WAR OF 1967 . 13 The Course of the War . 13 Political Imperatives . 14 Military Imperatives . 15 The Time Problem . 15 Operational Consequences and Risk . 16 Airpower’s Role . 17 Summary . 19 Notes . 20 4 THE FALKLANDS WAR . 21 The Course of the War . 21 Political Imperatives . 22 Military Imperatives . 24 The Time Problem . 25 Operational Consequences and Risk .
    [Show full text]
  • From Balletics to Ballistics: French Artillery, 1897-1916
    FROM BALLETICS TO BALLISTICS: FRENCH ARTILLERY, 1897-1916 From Balletics to Ballistics: French Artillery, 1897-1916 JONATHAN KRAUSE* University of Wolverhampton Email: [email protected] ABSTRACT The fighting on the Western Front during the First World War was characterized by the mass use of artillery and, thanks to scholarship from recent decades, is now understood as a crucible for learning and innovation. This article follows the trajectory of French artillery capabilities, mental and mechanical, from the late 19th century through to 1916. Introduction The First World War, fundamentally, was an artillery war. Central to every tactical question was the use of artillery: that of the attacker and the defender. The reason for this is largely technological. With the development of accurate, quick-firing artillery field armies would possess an unprecedented level of firepower. The 1890s introduced an era in which massed infantry charges could be largely turned back by artillery alone. These modern field guns could, if they chose, engage their targets from four to six kilometres away, thus freeing them from the constraints of their counterparts in the 1860s and 1870s, whose shorter ranges exposed them to deadly small arms fire. Against this new killing power there was little that infantry could do; little, that is, except dig. Trenches have always provided soldiers with protection from firepower. The same basic principles which Vauban had perfected in the 17th Century remained of vital importance well into the 20th. That the war on the Western Front was essentially a siege operation of unprecedented complexity and duration was not lost on the leadership of the French army.
    [Show full text]