Topic 18 Popular Use of steel and the arms race
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Objectives
Knowledge
1. To understand how the use of steel and steam changed the mode of arms race
2. To understand the relationship between changes of war instruments and
social and economic developments
3. To know the war instruments before the Second World War
Skills
1. To compare changes before and after development of historical events
2. To use diagrams to master complicated historical events
3. To summarise and analyze historical facts
Attitude
To reflect on disasters to human beings caused by continuous improvement of
weapons
Teaching Flow
Items
1
Format
Teaching Objectives
Question to
ponder
Question
2
Task 1
Data-based
question
3
Pictures
4
To know
more
Task 2
5
Task 3
Data-based
question
6
Task 4
7
Task 5
Data-based
questions and
Extended activity
Data-based
question
To let students compare
warships of the 18th
century with those of the
19th century
To introduce warships of
different centuries
To enable students to
understand effects of
improvements in
transport and
communication on wars
To enable students to
understand the effects of
industrialisation on war
developments
To let students compare
the importance of various
factors
To compare the features
of the two World Wars
8
Conclusion
Summary chart
Revision
Data-based
question
To arouse student’s
learning motives
Content
What are the relationships
between changes of war
instruments and social and
economic developments?
Brief information on
structure of warships of
different centuries
Major European battles in
the 19th century
Concept of “total war”
Factors affecting wars
Weapons and tactics of the
two World Wars
Revisiting key points of this
topic
1
Question to ponder
What are the relationships between changes of war
instruments and social and economic developments?
2
Task 1: Steel, Steam Power and Wars
Source A
The Source below describes the conditions of warships in the 18th century.
In the 18th century wind was the motive power for warships. They were made of
wood. Therefore, they could only go as fast as the wind could carry them. Because
they were small, the guns they could carry were also small. (If you fire cannon, the
gun moves backwards as the cannon ball goes out. This backward movement, known
as “recoil”, could upset the ship unless it was steadied by its weight.) An arms race
in those days consisted of putting more guns on the ship. The guns were fitted on the
two sides (known as the broadsides). During war, ships turned their sides towards
their enemies so that they could fire their guns at them.
Topic 18
Popular Use of steel and the arms race
Source B
The Source below describes the conditions of warships in the 19th century.
By the beginning of the 19th century, warships were built which were
powered by steam. When the ship was driven by steam, it was no longer
dependent on wind. It was not, in fact, a good idea to fit steam engines on
wooden ships because the fire from the steam engine was always a fire
hazard.
In the mid-19th century, new furnaces were invented which greatly
improved the steel-making process. Before these new machines were
invented, it took several days to convert iron into steel, but with the new
furnaces, steel could be produced in about half an hour. Steel is a very
useful metal for machine-making. It is harder than iron and not brittle (that
is to say, it does not break easily). It became widely used in railways,
engines, ships and other machines.
By the end of the 19th century, warships were no longer made of timber, but
of steel. Steel is much heavier than wood. When ships were made of steel,
they became much heavier than wooden ships. They could be fitted with
heavier guns, which had a much longer range than the lighter guns fitted on
wooden ships.
Study Sources A and B, identify the differences of 18th century warships and 19th century
warships.
Suggested answer:
18th century warships
19th century warships
Materials
wood
steel
Warship Volume
small
large
Weapons
fewer cannons
more cannons
Source of Power
wind
steam
Speed
slower, since restricted by
wind
faster, since driven by
steam engine
War Tactics
short range attack on each
other
long range attack on each
other
Loading Capacity
lighter
heavier
3
To know more
Short file on Warships: HMS Dreadnought built in 1906
The battleship HMS Dreadnaught (ships belonging to the British Royal Navy
are referred to as “His, or Her, Majesty’s Ship”, HMS for short), built in 1906,
became the standard for warship production among the naval powers of the
period. A race was started between Britain and Germany for building the most
powerful navy. Ships competed for the size of the guns, the thickness of their
armour and speed. Not only the Western powers, but also Japan, were involved
in this arms race.
4
Displacement
18,000 tons
Power device
18 steam boilers, 4 steam engine units, 22,000 horsepower
Weapons


Armour
thickness
102-279 mm
10 12-inch guns
27 12-pounder cannons and 5 18-inch torpedo tubes
Source： http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:HMS_Dreadnought_1906_H61017.jpg
Topic 18
Popular Use of steel and the arms race
Task 2: Transport and Wars
Source C
The table below shows the major wars in the 19th century.
Years
Wars
Outcomes of Wars
Battle of Moscow
The force of 600,000 soldiers led by Napoleon
suffered setback in its expedition to Russia. The
crucial blow was the loss of manpower sources in the
long journey and the lack of supply.
1854
Crimean War
The emergency of liners enabled Britain and France to
transport easily large troops to Turkey and Crimea, and
eventually defeated the Russian troops.
1859
War between France
and Austria in
northern Italy
It took France only 11 days to transport 120,000 men
to the battlefield.
1870
Franco-Prussian War
The use of railways transported 1,000,000 soldiers to
the front line.
1812
What change of factor would bring about certain effects on the scale of wars and their outcomes?
Explain your answer with reference to Source C.
Suggested answer:
A crucial factor that determined the result of the wars would be the changes of the mode of
transport. Before the emergence of steam ships and railways, it was relatively difficult and slow
to transport troops to the frontline. In 1812, Napoleon’s expedition to Moscow suffered defeat
because of the inconvenience of transport and supply difficulties. However, when the railway
came into use, the transport of troops became faster, and the scale of wars enlarged. For example,
in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, the troops of both sides exceeded a total of 1,000,000
men.
Task 3: Industrialisation and Wars
Source D
The text below identifies a new war concept of the 19th century.
By the 19th century, war required continuous supplies of ammunition, machinery, raw
material such as steel, medicine, and food. Hence, the ability to mobilize all these
resources was a decisive factor in winning. In order to fight a war, it was not only
necessary to recruit a large number of soldiers, but also to mobilize a large number of
civilians to produce for war. At the same time, with the invention of the telegraph,
reports of war could be sent quickly home. This meant that governments could take
charge of war efforts much more effectively than in the past, and for news of the war,
through the newspapers, to spread to civilians. The age had come when war would be
“total”, that is to say, involving the entire country, civilian and military alike.
5
What caused the emergence of a “total war”? Explain your answer with reference to Source D.
Suggested answer:
In a war, apart from the soldiers, the civilians also had to participate in production for the war. At
the same time, the invention of telegraph resulted in faster transmission of information on the
battlefields back home, thus enabling the government to direct the warfare on the front more
effectively. Civilians at home can also acquire the newest information of the war through
newspaper. Thus the age of “total war” emerged.
Task 4: Comparing the importance of various factors that affected wars
Teaching Tips
Before teaching this topic, the teacher may ask students with higher
ability to search more information on the Internet on the effects on
wars of the use of steel and steam, the improvement of transport and
industrialization.
Source E
The table below reflects the scale of the major battles and wars in the 18th and 19th
6
centuries.
Year
1704
War
Battle of Blenheim
1853-1854 Crimean War
1870
Franco-Prussian
War
Warring parties
No. of men
Combined forces of France and
Bavaria vs
Combined forces of Germany and
Austria
56,000
52,000
Combined forces of Britain and
France vs
Russia
650,000
1.2 million
France vs
North German Confederation
500,000
550,000
1. According to Sources E, what changes took place in the scale of wars of the 18th and
19th centuries?
Suggested answer:
The scale of 19th century wars was conspicuously larger than those a century earlier. The
number of men deployed in the troops increased greatly. For example, in the Battle of
Blenheim of 1704, the troops had a total of 100,000 men, while in the Franco-Prussian
war of 1870, the number of men involved in the war already exceeded a million.
Topic 18
Popular Use of steel and the arms race
2. According to Sources A and D, the factors that decide the outcome of wars include the
use of steel, improvement in transport, and industrialization. Among these three factors,
which one do you think is the most important? Explain your answer.
Suggested answer:
Students are free to express their views, but they must make a reasonable comparison
without over-emphasizing any of the factors.
Extended activity
Write an essay based on the discussion results in Task 4.
Task 5: Features of wars in the twentieth century
Source F
The Source below describes the main features of wars in the 20th century.
2.


根據資料 I，梁啓超認為甚麼因素才是改革成功的關鍵？中國又是否具
備該些因素？解釋你的答案。
In
the First World War, soldiers were stationed in trenches on the battlefield.
Trenches were fortified. Barbed wire and machine guns provided defence
建議答案︰梁啓超認為除改革政治、學術、技藝之外，最重要是從思想
against enemy attack. Advances beyond the trenches were difficult.
方面改變國人，當中又以公德是中國人所缺乏，公德是各種德行
The tank之首，個人所做的必須有益於羣眾。
was invented to overrun trenches. The tank’s heavy armour gave it
protection, and its tracks allowed it to move easily on the battlefield, even
when there were no roads.

By the later stages of the First World War, aeroplanes were used to bombard
the enemy’s rear, thus expanding the war into areas far away from the
battlefield.

Submarines also came to be used widely during the First World War. The
German submarine (known as the “U-boat”) was a serious threat to British
and American ships.

By the Second World War, war was waged on land and sea, and in the air.

The aircraft carrier, combining the ability to fight on the sea and in the air,
became the centre of command

The tanks in the Second World War, such as Germany’s Tiger I, possessed
thick armour and powerful and large cannons.
7
Human beings of the 20th century witnessed two world wars, which brought
about even greater harm to them. Compare the features of the two World Wars
with reference to Source F and using your own knowledge.
Teaching Tips:
Students with higher ability may do a search of information
beforehand and write a piece of short essays.
Suggested answer:
The First World War
8
The Second World War
War Tactics
Positional Warfare
(Trenches)
Three-dimensional on the land,
on the sea and in the air
Weapons: Tanks
Already existed
Thicker armour / More powerful
fire
Submarine
Submarine War
Submarine War
Aircraft Carriers
Not yet existed
Became the centre of command
on the sea
Air force Fighters
Already began using
Cooperated with the army and
the navy in large scale
Conclusion
Through the 19th century, weapons of war became closely tied to industrial development.
Advances in ship building and gun making started the arms race in Europe, while weapons
such as the battleship, tank, aeroplane, and submarine increased the cost of war. Research
and development of military technology was crucial to success in the armament race. The
entire population of the country was involved in their financing and development.
Topic 18
Popular Use of steel and the arms race
Summary Chart
Relationship between Changes of
War Instruments and Social and
Economic Development
Popular Use of Steel
Improvement of Transport
Sustained development
of Industry
Changes of War
Instruments
9
Arms Race
Total War
(Civilians and soldiers of entire nation are mobilized to
get involved in the war)
Outbreak of the two World Wars