Innovation in History Impact and Change How Gunpowder Revolutionized Essay

Innovation in History Impact and Change How Gunpowder Revolutionized Warfare - Essay Example Although being a low explosive, gunpowder burns rapidly without outside air. In a confined space like the barrel of a gun, the gases build up enough pressure to push the bullet or shell out of the muzzle with high velocity. The gunpowder does not explode like high explosives such as TNT and dynamite. Gunpowder has played its main part in revolutionizing warfare and military thinking. Cannons, muskets, rockets and bombs powered by the black gunpowder removed all weapons and forces that were before them. Apart from playing its role as a weapon, it brought a tremendous boon in civil engineering. It made the development of Quarrying, cathedral foundations and roadways easier. And changed the way the engineers thought about major earth moving constructions. Gunpowder has been used in various fields including mining, military, naval warfare's and as a smokeless powder in propellants which provide higher energy density and lack of smoke. It was used as an igniter to charge the propellant in large guns. In comparison with World War 1 when less sensitive explosions were used; World War 2 saw a drastic change when flash emitted from gunpowder was used to temporary blind the ship crews. Various flash suppressors were created and mixed with the powder, which was formed into grains for small guns and into pellets for the larger guns. Before the invention of gunpowder peop... In between A.D 850-1000 Chinese first invented and used the gunpowder. "The sort of universal belief has been given to China or India, the credit of being the birthplace of this destructive compound" (Anderson, 1862). Gunpowder was bought to Europe after 1200; its formula was found in a letter from Francis Bacon to Pope Clement IV in 1267 A.D. Then by 1275 chemist Albertus Magnus described its formula. Bacon with amazing accuracy predicted and described the formula. He was considered the alchemist of his time; he did series of experiments with saltpeter, charcoal and other elements from nature until he arrived at the right composition of all the 3 ingredients; charcoal, saltpeter and sulfur to give gunpowder. His formula included 75% saltpeter, 10% sulfur and 15% carbon. It was after a century when German Friar Berthold Schwartz found out that Bacons experiment could be used as a weapon. Gunpowder's impact on medieval warfare The impact of gunpowder for the medieval army changes the warfare for all times. It brought the beginning of cannon and firearms which revolutionized the way people fought battles. The commander had to reform the ideas on how the war had to be fought and the military leaders that that properly recognized the use of firearms were successful. The archaic stones of the old age could not stand against iron and brass artillery cannons; lowly peasants could gun down well trained and disciplined knights of noble blood and as a result the mighty medieval horsemen's role was changed forever. Gunpowder became a mighty asset in the battlefield and its psychological impact was that the judgment criteria for hiring soldiers had to be changed. "One thing is for certain though: the impact of gunpowder on medieval warfare was profound, and its introduction