Thousands of years ago, primitive people began to use various objects to protect themselves from wild animals and hostile people: snags and sticks, sharp stones, etc. It was from those distant times that the history of weapons began. With the development of civilization, new types of it appeared, and each historical era corresponds to more advanced ones than at the previous stage. In a word, weapons, like everything else on our planet, have followed their own special evolutionary path throughout the history of existence - from the simplest stone ax to nuclear warheads.
Types of weapons
There are various classifications that subdivide weapons into different types. According to one of them, it is cold and gunshot. The first, in turn, is also of several types: chopping, stabbing, percussion, etc. It is driven by the muscular strength of a person, but a firearm operates due to the energy of a charge of gunpowder. Consequently, it was invented precisely when people learned how to get gunpowder from s altpeter, sulfur and coal. And the first to distinguish themselves in this were the Chinese (back in the 9th century AD). The history of weapons does not have exact data on the date of creation of this explosive mixture, however, the year is known when the “recipe” of gunpowder was first described in the manuscript - 1042. From China, this information leaked to the Middle East, and from there to Europe.
Firearms also have their own varieties. It can be small arms, artillery and grenade launchers.
According to another classification, both cold and firearms are melee weapons. In addition to them, there are weapons related to weapons of mass destruction: nuclear, atomic, bacterial, chemical, etc.
Primitive weapons
We can judge about the means of protection at the dawn of human civilization by the finds that archaeologists managed to get in the habitats of ancient people. All these finds can be seen in various historical and local history museums.
The most ancient types of primitive weapons were stone or bone arrowheads and spears, which were found on the territory of modern Germany. These exhibits are about three hundred thousand years old. The number is, of course, impressive. For what purpose they were used, for hunting wild animals or for war with other tribes - we can only guess. Although the rock carvings to some extent help us to restore reality. But about the periods when writing was invented by mankind, literature began to develop,historiography, as well as painting, we have enough information about the new achievements of people, including weapons. Since that time, we can trace the full path of transformation of these defensive means. The history of weapons includes several eras, and the initial one is primitive.
At first, the main types of weapons were spears, bows and arrows, knives, axes, first made of bone and stone, and later - metal (made of bronze, copper and iron).
Medieval weapons
After people learned how to work metals, they invented swords and pikes, as well as arrows with sharp metal tips. For protection, shields and armor (helmets, chain mail, etc.) were invented. By the way, even in ancient times, gunsmiths began to make rams and catapults from wood and metal for the siege of fortresses. With each new turn in the development of mankind, weapons were also improved. It became stronger, sharper, etc.
The medieval history of the creation of weapons is of particular interest, since it was during this period that firearms were invented, which completely changed the approach to combat. The first representatives of this species were arquebuses and squeaks, then muskets appeared. Later, gunsmiths decided to increase the size of the latter, and then the first artillery pieces appeared on the military field. Further, the history of firearms begins to state more and more new discoveries in this area: guns, pistols, etc.
Newtime
During this period, edged weapons gradually began to be replaced by firearms, which were constantly modified. Its speed, lethal force and range of projectiles increased. With the advent of the 20th century, the history of weapons did not keep pace with inventions in this area. During the First World War, tanks began to appear in the theater of operations, and aircraft began to appear in the sky. In the middle of the 20th century, in the year of involvement in the Second World War of the USSR, a new generation of automatic weapons was created - the Kalashnikov assault rifle, as well as various types of grenade launchers and types of rocket artillery, for example, the Soviet Katyusha, underwater military equipment.
Weapons of Mass Destruction
None of the above types of weapons in their danger can not be compared with this one. It, as already mentioned, includes chemical, biological or bacteriological, atomic and nuclear. The last two are the most dangerous. For the first time, mankind experienced nuclear power in August and November 1945, during the atomic bombing of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the US Air Force. The history of nuclear weapons, or rather, their combat use, originates precisely from this black date. Thank God that humanity has never experienced such a shock.
