1870s
Tremendous investment in money, science, industrial capacity, personnel, and skill devoted to naval development First technological arms race, a matter of national pride Each generation of ships after 1870 added speed, bigger guns, and better armor
1871
1874
1876
1878
British Devastation, the first sail-less sea going ship
Berlin conference outlaws European land warfare. Spurs increased investment in Naval
technologies intensifying the arms race.
Telephone patented by Alexander Graham Bell
London conference outlaws warfare on the open seas. Arms race is redirected to land
born mechanized technologies.
1885
Smokeless powder invented Powder was more powerful and controllable, creating higher muzzle velocities and greater range Smokeless powder did not reveal a shooter's position or obscure the field with clouds of smoke
1888
1890s
1898 Yankee-Spanish War
British army adopts the Maxim machine gun
Used the force of the recoil to extract the empty case, cock the firing pin, and
load another round
The Maxim needed only one barrel, was cooled by a water jacket, and fired 600 rounds
per minute
Magazine fed bolt-action rifles in use by major nations
Could be more deadly at longer ranges with equal training
Volume of fire high enough that line formation unnecessary
