Ten Weapons That Changed History

[Lonestar]

Originally posted by Geronimo


Given that the AK-47 and it's derivatives are so decisively superior I wonder why NATO doesn't adopt it or a NATO knock off as their standard infantry weapon? If the weapon is clearly superior then any considerations of cost to convert would seem to be secondary.

Well, it isn't superior, for one. It's superior in that it's much cheaper and doesn't require as much cleaning. It isn't as accurate, and has one mother of a recoil(which, of course, affects accuracy).

It was designed for unlettered peasants, and it shows in the users.

[Cyclotron]

Originally posted by Elok
I thought a gladius was just a short double-edged sword. Is there some special property to it other than its use by the almighty Roman legions?

The Gladius was the ideal weapon of the Roman style of warfare - a short, strong stabbing weapon that could be easily mass produced and used in a close formation. It was really the perfect piece of equipment for the early legions, only changing with the "cavalry revolution" in the late Roman era, when classical Roman tactics and training fell apart and the gladius was superseded by the spatha.

Of course, as BeBro noted, the gladius by itself was not revolutionary; it was the complement to revolutionary Roman tactics. It falls firmly into the category of the weapons that made existing tactics much better, rather than that of revolutionary weapons that caused tactics to change. Still, in light of its long-lasting utility and its perfect match with classical Roman warfare, I'd say it's not a bad choice for weapons that changed history.

Originally posted by BeBro
Yep. I shouldn't have written "hellenic" - I meant it in the sense of generally Greek.

Actually, you were right - "Hellenic" means generally Greek. It's "Hellenistic" that pertains specifically to the post-Alexander era.

[Tuberski]

You all forget the most important weapon: the Phased-plasma rifle in the forty watt range.

ACK!

[PLATO]

Originally posted by Tuberski
Phased-plasma rifle in the forty watt range.

ACK!

"Just what you see here!"

[EPW]

Sharpened rock.

[Arrian]

Hard to argue against the bow & arrow.

Stirrups were a pretty big deal, IIRC. No heavy cavalry w/o stirrups.

The Tank, though one could argue Tank is to modern warfare what heavy cavalry (knights) were to medieval, I suppose.

Steamships.

Aircraft.

Nuclear weapons.

-Arrian

[Cyclotron]

How about the Interrupter Gear

[Andemagne]

Originally posted by EPW
Sharpened rock.

yeah, its quite hard to argue against stone axe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZourRsUsnho

[PLATO]

10.) The Spear
9.) The Chariot
8.) The Sword
7.) Cavalry
6.) The Pike
5.) The Musket
4.) The Cannon
3.) The Airplane
2.) The Missle
1.) The Mind

[LordShiva]

Teh pen is mightier.

[BeBMan]

Thebne

[LordShiva]

[PLATO]

Originally posted by LordShiva
Teh pen is mightier.

The pen is directed by the mind!

[DinoDoc]

No mention of the gay bomb?

[Proteus_MST]

The deadly joke, although not many people know about its involvement in WW2