WWI is often veiwed as a time of great advancement in technology. However, is it possible that the technology was too much. During WWI battle plans like the Schlieffen Plan failed. The course of a typical battle was more reliant on technology than on actual strategy. When both sides have artillery to bombard with, the battle because a stalemate. Pouring in reinforcements doesn't help when both sides are mowing soldiers down with machine guns. Better laid plans could have made a significant difference in the war. If more strategy was employed and less reliance on technology, it is possible that many lives could have been spared.
While technological advancements are important, we can't rely solely on them. It is important to keep making improvements, and, in a time of war, not to fall behind the opposition, but other strategies must also be employed.
i completely agree with this katie. it reminds me of the quote that was in the other book that talked about how the technology started to lead the commanders rather than the other way around. the technology was believed to make up for the lack of great strategy, but it just ended up putting forces farther back in success than before.
ReplyDeleteI wrote about the same thing Katie:) I think it ties into the fact that everyone just wanted a war to prove themselves and their countries, they got caught up in the philosophy and the potential glory that they lost their grasp on realistic ideas. They were so caught up in the possibility and the evolution of technology of the new era they forgot to evolve their ideas and plans as well.
ReplyDeleteYes, both to what Katie and Tess say. It only seems obvious that war plans should update themselves according to the technology of the time. But what we can ask is, 'Did the commanders know how to effectively use the technology and bring its full potential to war?', and 'Did the technology prove itself to be dependent upon?' I know I wouldn't trust something entirely if what I had been doing for years worked consistently. It was only too convenient that there were so many millions of men to give their lives instead of work on planning and developing war plans. Maybe the commanders didn't trust the new technology or understand its full potential? The way they experienced everything as it came to them is a much different viewpoint than we see.
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