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However, its first use in the concept of So along came the early refinements of the
military operations was by French writer basic club and thrown stone. Men learned to
Jomini. In 1838, he devised a theory of war chip flint so that stones could be shaped into
upon the trinity of strength, tatics and stronger and more effective axe heads. .
logistics. Throwing sticks were developed to give
spears more range; arrowheads and
Today, lostics is defined as the “science and spearheads were fashioned. The bow was
art of moving and sustaining armed forces”. invented.
This means getting the right men and
materials, in the right quantities, to the right Around 5000 B.C. it was found that a certain
place, at the right time. kind of rock could be hammered into desired

shapes. About 2,000 years later a piece of this
EVOLUTION OF WEAPONS rock happened to get next to a fire and a little
pool of bright liquid formed. Copper had
The object of fighting has always been to been discovered and began to be used for
defeat or drive away the enemy while keeping weapons. Later some tin accidentally got
yourself a maximum distance from him. Our mixed in with a batch of copper and the result
ancestors therefore looked for ways to was bronze. It was more difficult to work, but
increase the range of weapons. Rock throwing it took a real edge and was much harder than
must have been the first development in this copper.
direction. Then a stone was tied to a piece of
vine or leather thong, whirled and let loose. Progress in the development of weapons was
This increased range but decreased accuracy; restricted for centuries to improvements in
the science of “exterior ballistics” was born. the basic prehistoric arms. The tremendous
and ingenious war engines of the Romans
Slope brown survivors of early “meeting and of the Middle Ages—the catapult,
engagements” soon learned that weapons ballista and battering ram—were really
“
could be classified as offensive or defensive. nothing but improved” slings, bows and
Early man probably devoted more “thought” clubs.
to providing himself with a satisfactory club
for close in protection than he did to the GUNPOWDER
perfection of his rock slinging style.
The next big development was gunpowder,

The club must have been the weapon man first which appeared in the beginning of the
made for himself. The sling, the spear and the fourteenth century. Various incendiary
stone axe probably followed in roughly that compounds such as “Greek fire” had been
sequence. The shield certainly occurred to used since the dawn of history, but we must
somebody early in the game. not confuse them with explosive compounds.
’
Gunpowder s main use in fourteenth-century
But a characteristic of armament races is that warfare was in huge cannon to knock down
as soon as a new weapon is developed to give the walls of fortresses and cities.
its user an advantage over the foe, there are
always enough survivors of the first defeat to
steal the idea and use it against its inventor.