Corey Peter
Pre AP WH Pre. 5
DBQ-Gunpowder
3/1/10
DBQ
Background: Chinese Taoist alchemists were the major force behind the early invention
of gunpowder. Emperor Wu Di (156-87 B.C.) of the Han dynasty financed research done
by the alchemists on the secrets of eternal life. The alchemists experimented with the
sulfur and saltpeter heating the substances in order to transform them. The alchemist Wei
Boyang wrote the Book of the Kinship of the Three detailing the experiments made by
the alchemists.
Question: In what ways did gunpowder revolutionize warfare?
Document 1
The earliest extant written reference to gunpowder in Europe is in Roger Bacon's "De
nullitate magiæ" at Oxford in 1234.In Bacon's "De Secretis Operibus Artis et Naturae" in
1248, he states:
“We can, with saltpeter and other substances, compose artificially a fire that can be
launched over long distances... By only using a very small quantity of this material much
light can be created accompanied by a horrible fracas. It is possible with it to destroy a
town or an army ...”
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Gunpowder#Gunpowder_in_Europe
Document 2
Jiao Yu wrote
"Even birds flying in the air cannot escape the effects of the explosion".
http://history.cultural-china.com/en/60H6314H12136.html
Document 3
Experimenting with life-lengthening elixirs around A.D. 850, Chinese alchemists instead
discovered gunpowder. Their explosive invention would become the basis for almost
every weapon used in war from that point on, from fiery arrows to rifles, cannons and
grenades.
http://www.livescience.com/history/080407-hs-gunpowder.html
Document 4
Early modern Europeans invented ships that could sail close to the wind and carry many
months supply of food and water. So did the Chinese. But when Europeans mounted
heavy cannons on their ships, they created an unbeatable weapon.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0504/p17s01-bogn.html
Document 5
http://www.sonofthesouth.net/revolutionary-war/battles/revolutionary-war-minutemen.jpg
http://karenswhimsy.com/public-domain-images/spartan-warriors/images/spartan-warriors-2.jpg
Document 6
WAR
NUMBER
SERVING
WOUNDED
BATTLE DEATHS
Revolutionary War
217,0003
6,188
4,435
War of 1812
286,730
4,505
2,260
Mexican War
78,718
4,152
1,733
Civil War (Both Sides)
3,213,363
354,805
191,963
Spanish American War
306,760
1,662
385
World War I
4,734,991
204,002
53,402
World War II
16,112,566
671,846
291,557
Korean Conflict
5,720,000
103,284
33,741
Vietnam Conflict
8,744,000
153,303
47,424
Persian Gulf War
2,225,000
467
147
http://www.americanfamilytraditions.com/war_casualties.htm
http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/History/
Battles/Thermopylae.html
Battle of Thermopylae
Conflict
Persian Wars
Date
August, 480 BC
Place
Thermopylae
Result
Persian pyrrhic victory
Combatants
Greek city-states
Persia
Commanders
Leonidas†
Xerxes I
Strength
Herodotus claims a
total strength of 3.4
million; today's
estimates range from
250,000 to 300,000
About 7000
Casualties
At least 300; likely
over 2000
Possibly 20 000
Battle before
Battle after
Gunpowder- also know as black powder- was probably the biggest discovery in
weaponry in history. The invention of gunpowder had a huge effect in revolutionizing
warfare. One of the ways gunpowder affected warfare was because it brought new
weapons into battle. Another effect of gunpowder was it allowed for easier killing.
Gunpowder affected warfare because it change the way that battles and wars were fought
from when there was no gunpowder.
The first way that gunpowder revolutionized warfare was because is introduced a
whole other style of weapons. This was an effect because the usage of gunpowder made it
possible to fight farther away. Jiao Yu once wrote, "Even birds flying in the air cannot
escape the effects of the explosion" (Doc 2). This writing by Yu is saying that with
gunpowder, weapons are created that can explode and have an effect on a larger area than
an arrow or spear.
Another way that gunpowder had an effect on the revolution of warfare is that is
created killing easier. Roger Bacon stated, “By only using a very small quantity of this
material much light can be created accompanied by a horrible fracas. It is possible with
it to destroy a town or an army ...” (Doc 1). This means that unlike spears and arrows,
gunpowder is used in small quantities but has a larger effect. Another way it’s easier to
kill is that unlike practicing with a bow and arrow, using a rifle of cannon requires a
significant less amount of practice which means that more people can kill someone just as
easily.
The last way that gunpowder revolutionized warfare was that it changed the way
that wars and battles were fought. It allowed for combat to be separated between the
opponents. Roger Bacon once stated, “We can, with saltpeter and other substances,
compose artificially a fire that can be launched over long distances...” (Doc 1). This
also relates to the new weapons because the new weapons made long-range combat
possible. The use of gunpowder also made war, in some ways, less gory and gruesome
because bullets were a much faster death than getting an arm or leg severed off and bleed
to death.
The revolution of warfare was greatly affected by the invention of gunpowder and
the use of it. The discovery of gunpowder created a whole other arsenal of weaponry such
as guns and cannons. With these new weapons that were created, it made killing easier
and more manageable to the normal person. The last way that gunpowder revolutionized
warfare was that is change the way people fought in battles.
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