Machine Guns

Both sided used many new and dangerous weapons. Soldiers were faced with machine guns, capable of shooting many bullets in a short time and killing dozens.

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Poison Gas

Both sides used poison gas. These gases caused temporary blindness, skin blisters and lung damage. Injuries caused by gas were known to be cruel and painful. Soldiers carried gas masks to protect themselves from the awful effects of the chemicals. Today, using poison gases in war is illegal under international law.

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Airplanes 

World War I was the first major war where airplanes were used as a significant part of the military. The airplane was invented by the Wright Brothers in 1903, just 11 years before the start of World War I. When the war first began, aircraft played a small role in warfare, but, by the end of the war, the air force had become an important branch of the armed forces.

 

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Trenches, Tanks, and Submarines  

Much of the fighting took place from trenches dug into the ground. The British first used tanks in WWI to cross trenches, crush barbed wire and shoot at the enemy, all from the safety of an armored vehicle. Submarines were important during WWI as well. Torpedoes fired from submarines sank many ships.