Military Revolution

Introduction: The First World War had the most significant impact on large-scale combat operations (LSCOs) because of inventions with weapons and military strategy. Evidence supports that this revolutionary war inspired many later decisions about how to conduct warfare.
A. Attention sentence: The First World War was the most impactful military revolution because of evolving technologies.
B. Thesis: The First World War was the military revolution that had the most impact on LSCOs because it profoundly impacted ideas about weaponry and how to conduct a successful strategy.
C. Major points supporting the thesis: The First World War was the most impactful military revolution because of changing attitudes about warfare and how weaponry, including vehicles, would impact the outcome of conflicts. The war would illuminate issues with trench warfare and the importance of the battle’s location. It would inform future wars about how to avoid catastrophic outcomes for countries engaging in battle.
II. Major Point 1 Topic Sentence – The First World War would change how LSCOs were fought because of new weapons and munitions.
A. The conditions before the First World War were that weapons were not yet advanced and largely dependent on what could be sourced for the battlefield (Parker, 2005).
B. The change to the conditions was that weapons were not part of a mass production line and could be changed to suit the current LSCO problems.
C. The Battle of Liège was the first significant battle of the First World War and illustrated the need for superior weaponry for the Axis powers, who would spend the war inventing new technologies.
III. Major Point 2 Topic Sentence – The First World War would highlight issues with trench warfare, including how it would affect countries like France, where wars would occur.
A. The conditions prior to the First World War were why trenches were popularized, and it was a misconception that it would not damage France to fight in trenches on home soil (Knox & Murray, 2001)
B. The solution to this issue was that later conflicts would avoid creating trenches in areas that would damage the local population or country meaningfully.
C. The Battle of the Marne was the first-time trench warfare saw widespread usage: what was predicted to be a short battle would become long fought, influencing later strategies.
IV. Major Point 3 Topic Sentence – The location of the war was damaging to France and would inspire changes in how LSCOs would be conducted to avoid fights in vulnerable or valuable areas.
A. The damage of trench warfare to France was evident and would be impactful on history, with outstanding environmental issues resulting from a prolonged conflict (Knox & Murray, 2001).
B. Military strategists would adjust their tactics to avoid battles in densely populated areas or where there may be long-term damage to the country or environment because of the armed conflict.
C. The Battle of Ypres would express the damage that newer weapons could do, and the advanced equipment would drag-out battles, necessitating a change in military strategy.
V. Conclusion: The First World War was the most impactful military revolution on LSCOs because it affected weaponry, strategy, and the tactics used during warfare. There was a constant evolution of arms that actions on the battlefield would inspire. The Axis powers would lose early fights but then adjust their strategy by creating new weapons. The use of trenches would become obsolete after this war, and France would suffer because of trenches in their land. It would mark the last time many of these strategies saw wide usage and a change in LSCO tactics.

Reference List
Knox, Macgregor, and Murray,Williamson, eds. 2001. The Dynamics of Military Revolution, 1300-2050. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9780511817335.
Parker, Geoffrey, ed. 2005. The Cambridge History of Warfare the Cambridge History of Warfare. 2nd ed. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.