The Amazing World Of War Machines

Through centuries of armed conflict, weapons have evolved from arrows to swords to the technological development that left them all behind: gunpowder. Since then, advances in weaponry have been both awe-inspiring and frightening.

After firearms evolved from a rifle to a shotgun and bolt-action rifle, inventor Walter Hunt developed the concept of a "magazine" for easier loading of semi-automatic and automatic weapons.

The United States' 280mm Howitzer, Atomic Annie, was first tested in 1953, firing a 365kg fission warhead 10,000 meters high. Artillery itself has a long and distinguished history going back through time to the dawn of gunpowder.

Since the earliest civilizations in Assyria, Egypt and Greece, man has erected forts, barricades and battlements to protect his personal property. Some of the oldest defensive structures still exist today.

Tanks were originally invented as an extension of armory to protect soldiers from enemy fire, but as personal armor became too heavy, tanks became globally accepted in warfare.

Since the 2nd millennium BC, ships have been used for trade, exploration, piracy, and transporting troops to battle, with formal navies appearing from the 6th and 7th centuries.