HOW GUNPOWDER CHANGED WARFARE

• Austin Mullins
• August 26,2014
• 2nd Period

Gunpowder has been around since nearly A.D.850. It has been one of the most influential inventions ever developed.

Gunpowder permanently altered the way that human beings wage war, brought an end to the medieval ages in Europe and made the age of exploration possible.

Even the new technology of modern warfare is made possible by a version of this powder, which is likely to continue to be relevant long into the future.

Gunpowder and projectile technology came to Europe in the 14th and was quickly adapted to make cannons.

Employing bronze-making technology that they had previously used to cast bells, Europeans created siege cannons capable of destroying castle walls.

The development of field artillery and handguns in the late 15th century mean't that knights, who were burdened by armor that did not stop bullets, became vulnerable.

During the age of exploration, Europeans used guns and cannons to expand their trade networks and empires. Ships were equipped with cannons, allowed them to engage in naval battle and to attack ports.

Vasco de gama used this to his advantage and captured several ports in 1500 on his second voyage to India. Handguns were also and important part of the expansion process and allowed the Spanish to conquer the Aztec and inca civilizations.

Outside of Europe, other civilizations also used guns to conquer during this time. The Ottoman Empire, for instance, used cannons to capture Constantinople in 1453.