What are the two chief technological developments of World War I?

Answer 1

1- Radio. Most folks don't realize that the Super heterodyne Receiver, the forerunner all modern transceivers, was actually put into service in 1918

2- Armored Fighting Vehicles. Not just Main Battle Tanks, but armored personnel carriers, and self-propelled artillery were under design or in initial production at the Armistice.

I don't consider the airplane, machine gun etc because these were already developed before the war. Though not necessarily fully understood in a tactical sense.

Answer 2

Although you can most of the material at the link indicated below (*1), I would argue that the following items are the main technological developments of WWI:

1) Air warfare/air craft: Early war aircraft were not much different in design from the original Wright Flyer, which made its first flight over a decade earlier. By war's end, bombers with a range of over 1300 miles with more than 7000 lbs of bombs were doing raids over the UK, France and Germany. The military aircraft would be used after the war to establish airmail routes and (eventually) begin to establish the air routes used by airlines today.(*2) It would later establish another form of warfare, Strategic bombing.

2) Tanks: unknown at the begining of the conflict, it has established itself as a key component of all armies in existance today. It created mechanized warfare as we now know it which rendered horses and other prior means of transporting armies, and equipment obsolete. Horses need to be feed on a daily basis while motorized vehicules need gas (petrol) only when used. It is a significant difference on your logistics and operations.

Submarines: would be a close third as it almost did bring the UK to its knees before countermeasures were developed. It created a greatly powerful tool (see nuclear subs) BUT it didn't bring a new form of warfare into being as naval blockades have been in place for centuries.

Trench warfare? Actually, this was already in use in the US Civil War (or War between the States) at Fredericksburg, Atlanta & Petersburg (VA). Although the scale of killing and power of the explosifs increased significantly, the basics remained the same.

Machine guns? Early variants had been used in Africa (Matabele War, Boer War), China (Boxer Rebellion) and the Russo-Japanese War. They became more lethal but again not a significant breaktrough compared to previous wars

Poison gas? Horrific weapon that would later be banned but that barely changed the course of the war as counters were quickly put up. Major advances in this field are few (and banned).

Answer 3

Pick two out of so many?

Submarine warfare. Which was unprecedented, affected Britain badly, in good part drew America into the war, and was to weigh so heavily in the Second World War.

Aerial warfare. From barely usable unarmed scouts, to Zeppelins and Gotha bombers over London, with the bombing of civilians: air war was a new thing that changed drastically over the course of WW1.

Alternate possibilities...
The machine gun? But it was been established technology well before WW1. It developed little, though its massive deployment was devastating.

The tank? A popular image, and an innovation. But it was probably not, alone, a war-winning weapon in WW1.
It's full implementation was found in WW2.

Poison gas? Not the deadly weapon its terrible reputation seemed to make it.

Wireless communications? The first steps to supplement, though not replace, the massive networks of telephone communications.

Answer 4

hmm, so many, probably

Machine Guns

Mustard Gas/Trench Warfare

but airplanes and tanks also played a very large role in it. It was really considered the first modern war due to all the technology to use.

Oh yeah, and zeppleins, just because they are way too awesome.

Answer 5

Machine guns and battle tanks.

Answer 6

Airplane and tanks

Answer 7

trench warfare! and most advanced killing techniques comparedto previous wars

Answer 8

heroin, which was supposed to taper soldiers off of morphine; machine guns, and x-rays