At the time, war was fought with trenches. Maxims didn't change the way war was fought at the time. If anything, they reinforced the pervading style of warfare. It wasn't until the Germans invented SMGs in WW2 that trenches became useless. The MP40 sped up the pace of warfare considerably. Soldiers were advancing so fast that trenches couldn't be built in time. When combined with the new German tactic of blitzkrieg, the SMG was instrumental to the initial successful advances of the Nazis.
SMGs where not instrumental to blitzkrieg. The whole point of blitzkrieg was to use mechanised troops in a spearhead re-enforced by infantry. The MP 40 was also not the first SMG, by far and is predated by a long line of SMGs, such as the Thompson, mp38, Suomi, PPD and Stirling. Not to mention the mp-18 witch was invented by the Germans in WW1.
The Dreyse needle rifle, it greatly changed Prussian infantry tactics which, along with their early moves to leverage rails, revolutionized warfare when they absolutely dunked on the numerically superior Austrians. Without it you don't have the breech loading rifle, full stop
Maxim. nothing comes close.
made cavalry obsolete.
made firing lines obsolete.
made everyone duck for cover.
made everyone dig trenches.
changed the role of artillery forever because everyone was hiding in trenches.
inspired tanks, because everyone was hiding in trenches.
inspired chemical warfare, because everyone was hiding in trenches.
While I admire everything Maxims have done for the progress of civilisation, it was the Gatling that did everything you mention. Maxim was just an improvement of the concept more than 20 years later.
You know, I've always sort of wondered if that's because the Maxim was truly better than the Gatling gun in such a game changing way, or if it was just Europe catching up. America already knew the power of the Gatling, and furthermore industrialized warfare, starting in their civil war and continuing through the Indian Wars and the Spanish-American war. When WW1 started, European (and Ottoman) armies still ascribed to horribly outdated tactics that got innumerable soldiers killed; but it needn't have been so if they had just looked across the Atlantic and learned the lessons the United States had shed so much blood to acquire.
the maxim was fielded en masse. every point on the front you could expect to be flanked by two maxims. as long as they were supplied, they could fire indefinitely. the gatling gun was never even close to be fielded to such an extent.
But I'd give a comfy second place to the STG, the first successful Assault rifle design that fills the role of an infantry rifle and can deliver effective suppressive fire while remaining pretty easy to control.
The minie balls changed how large battles were fought. They let rifles muskets shoot hundreds of yards accurately and made rank-firing formations obsolete.
>changed the world and warfare
Those are very different questions.
As far as changing warfare goes, I agree, the Maxim, easily.
As far as changing the world goes? That's very different. It's hard to ignore the weapons used by major political powers, the Brown Bess brought an awful lot of countries to heel under the British Empire. The AK had a lot of effect in the commie realm of influence, etc.
The flintlock. It made firearms (somewhat) reliable and safe to use. Later introduction of the socket bayonet all but eliminated dedicated melee infantry and ended the era of pike and shot.
muh dick
Henry.
At the time, war was fought with trenches. Maxims didn't change the way war was fought at the time. If anything, they reinforced the pervading style of warfare. It wasn't until the Germans invented SMGs in WW2 that trenches became useless. The MP40 sped up the pace of warfare considerably. Soldiers were advancing so fast that trenches couldn't be built in time. When combined with the new German tactic of blitzkrieg, the SMG was instrumental to the initial successful advances of the Nazis.
>Maxims didn't change the way war was fought at the time
it's the first machine gun you moron
This is the dumbest take I have ever seen on firearms warefare.
Please explain exactly a) when you believe trenches became predominant in warfare and b) when you believe the maxim gun was invented.
>Invented the SMG in ww2
You have to go back moron, what do you think "18" in mp-18 stands for
SMGs where not instrumental to blitzkrieg. The whole point of blitzkrieg was to use mechanised troops in a spearhead re-enforced by infantry. The MP 40 was also not the first SMG, by far and is predated by a long line of SMGs, such as the Thompson, mp38, Suomi, PPD and Stirling. Not to mention the mp-18 witch was invented by the Germans in WW1.
>Germans invented SMGs in WW2
Er. WHAT?
>
This is one of the dumbest things I've ever read on 4chins, and that's a high bar.
>Spencer repeating rifle
>Lebel rifle
>Gatling gun
>Hotchkiss gun
>Maxim
>MP 18
>M2 Browning
>Browning Automatic Rifle
>MG-34/42
>AK-47
1893 Mauser for me.
My dick
My peenor
The Dreyse needle rifle, it greatly changed Prussian infantry tactics which, along with their early moves to leverage rails, revolutionized warfare when they absolutely dunked on the numerically superior Austrians. Without it you don't have the breech loading rifle, full stop
The prussians dunked the Austrians (and the french) because of superior artillery. Superior artillery is also how they performed so well in ww1.
The m1911 of course. Imagine if both world wars had been lost; the world would be a very different place right now.
Maxim. nothing comes close.
made cavalry obsolete.
made firing lines obsolete.
made everyone duck for cover.
made everyone dig trenches.
changed the role of artillery forever because everyone was hiding in trenches.
inspired tanks, because everyone was hiding in trenches.
inspired chemical warfare, because everyone was hiding in trenches.
inspired maneuver warfare, because everyone was hiding in trenches.
While I admire everything Maxims have done for the progress of civilisation, it was the Gatling that did everything you mention. Maxim was just an improvement of the concept more than 20 years later.
gatling gun had nowhere near the impact of the maxim.
You know, I've always sort of wondered if that's because the Maxim was truly better than the Gatling gun in such a game changing way, or if it was just Europe catching up. America already knew the power of the Gatling, and furthermore industrialized warfare, starting in their civil war and continuing through the Indian Wars and the Spanish-American war. When WW1 started, European (and Ottoman) armies still ascribed to horribly outdated tactics that got innumerable soldiers killed; but it needn't have been so if they had just looked across the Atlantic and learned the lessons the United States had shed so much blood to acquire.
the maxim was fielded en masse. every point on the front you could expect to be flanked by two maxims. as long as they were supplied, they could fire indefinitely. the gatling gun was never even close to be fielded to such an extent.
Maxim gun is briddy blessed
Maxim is by far the most influential gun.
But I'd give a comfy second place to the STG, the first successful Assault rifle design that fills the role of an infantry rifle and can deliver effective suppressive fire while remaining pretty easy to control.
Not this one in particular but mobile artillery definitely changed warfare
>Dreyse needle gun
>Maxim MG
>Browning M2
>MP18
>StG44
>MP40
>MG42
thx me late
The minie balls changed how large battles were fought. They let rifles muskets shoot hundreds of yards accurately and made rank-firing formations obsolete.
>changed the world and warfare
Those are very different questions.
As far as changing warfare goes, I agree, the Maxim, easily.
As far as changing the world goes? That's very different. It's hard to ignore the weapons used by major political powers, the Brown Bess brought an awful lot of countries to heel under the British Empire. The AK had a lot of effect in the commie realm of influence, etc.
The flintlock. It made firearms (somewhat) reliable and safe to use. Later introduction of the socket bayonet all but eliminated dedicated melee infantry and ended the era of pike and shot.
Wheellocks were more reliable than flintlocks. The flintlock didn't make guns more reliable, it made them cheap enough to field en masse.
FAMAS