As the Industrial Revolution dawned, new inventions were spring up, taking advantage of new manufacturing techniques. Along with this revolution came new military technologies. One such technology is the Maxim machine gun. Created in about 1884 by inventor and engineer Hiram Maxim, this gun drastically shaped the way wars were fought and the causalities that resulted. It was used by every major power during World War I. It was recoil-operated and had a water jacket around the barrel, which functioned as a way to cool the barrel since the heat from the high number of rounds being fired would otherwise warp the shape of the barrel. Firing at a rate of 500 bullets per minute, it drastically changed battle tactics. Men would have to dash and weave to avoid the spray of damage. Offensive lines could be easily crushed using the Maxim. Unlike the Gatling guns of the time, the Maxim was not hand-cranked and was less prone to becoming jammed.

The effects of the Maxim machine gun were also psychological due to the large number of casualties it could cause in a short amount of time. In one incident where British used the Maxim against Matabele tribesmen, 1600 tribesmen were killed while only 4 British were killed. Several tribe leaders committed suicide after the event due to the trauma of the scene. When used in World War I, the effect was demoralizing as troops would watch their comrades immediately dropped by the powerful weapon.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Maxim Machine Gun.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 7 Sept. 2010, www.britannica.com/technology/Maxim-machine-gun.

Huard, Paul Richard. “Maxim's Machine Gun Slaughtered Hundreds of Thousands of People.” Medium, War Is Boring, 5 Nov. 2014, medium.com/war-is-boring/maxims-machine-gun-slaughtered-hundreds-of-thousands-of-people-f9e068f5148.