Where Would We Be Without Gunpowder

[Chirurgeon]

I have always wondered what effect not having discovered gunpowder would have had on civilization? Would a suitable replacement been found? How would the battlefield evolve without it and where would be today without it?

[Arzeal]

my best guess that's steam engine still can be invested, and we may have machine-crossbows fire by steam powers tanks. So it'd be roundly the same history we have passed

[Bovarius]

Man has always put a lot of effort in better, deadlier weapons. So is would have been gunpowder or something else. 3 things in life never change, Death, taxes and man's need to destroy!

To answer your question you could check civilisations who started using gunpowder rather late, for example, Japanese (until they eventually did). They perfectionated their weapons to a degree hardly seen in western europe.

[EasternScourge]

*tries to imagine World War Two with Romanesque weapons*

I agree that if gunpowder wasn't discovered some subsitute would have been found.There are more things that go boom than just gunpowder.

[Foot]

There are more things that go boom than just gunpowder.

Custard Powder Artillery!

Foot

[The_Mark]

To answer your question you could check civilisations who started using gunpowder rather late, for example, Japanese (until they eventually did). They perfectionated their weapons to a degree hardly seen in western europe.

Is that a reference to the katana?

[abou]

Oh man, I wish we could post in the public what Matt posted in EBH about katanas.

[mAIOR]

Why can't you??

Cheers...

[Philip of Massalia]

Empires raised and fell before gunpowder just like after. One way or another, mass destruction is man's agenda for a long long time. Full genocide have been perpetrated with only machete, chamber gas, atomic bombs or machine guns are not really relevant and I think that they did not influencate very much History.

Someone with the right economics will always find a way to equip his people with just the necessary level of arms to fulfill his goals, good or bad. Look how fast Japan coped with "Western" weapon and kicked russian's ass!

I don't think there is an example in History where technology won alone a war. Let's take the Zulu example.

A lot of people think the zulu were defeated because they opposed assegais (isQla) to Martini-Henry's rifles.

In fact they did own a lot of guns, rifled or not. Bought or captured on battlefields.

They even captured artillery at Isandlwahna.

Their problem was that they did not use them efficiently for education reasons and for cultural reasons.

And also that they were not rich enough to afford enough gunpowder for drill and exercise.

But with their Assegais they crushed a full british regiment supported by artillery and a few cav. They lost only to superior numbers !!!

Technology alone explains nothing. Otherwise, how could the US loose the Vietnam and Iraq wars???

[Urnamma]

Man has always put a lot of effort in better, deadlier weapons. So is would have been gunpowder or something else. 3 things in life never change, Death, taxes and man's need to destroy!

To answer your question you could check civilisations who started using gunpowder rather late, for example, Japanese (until they eventually did). They perfectionated their weapons to a degree hardly seen in western europe.

The katana is quite possibly the most overrated weapon of all time. Firstly, it is made using a differential tempering process, by which the spine is softer than the blade. All well and good, but -how- much softer becomes an issue. It is not unknown for a katana that was hit on the blade to be cut in two, simply because the steel is -hard- but not -tough-.

The weapon itself was made entirely for dueling. The tachi, its longer, more deeply curved cousin, is a fine cavalry blade, but not quite as good as the saber that Japan's contemporaries were using.

The katana cannot (as a slashing sword) defeat armor properly... More to come (I hate katanas, yar).

[alatar]

Definately over rated.

Now the Gladius, thats a weapon...

[Conqueror]

To get back on topic, I think had gunpowder never been invented, chemical weapons would have been developed in it's stead. And there would still be other types of explosives used, and things like tanks and airplanes.

[Tellos Athenaios]

I have always wondered what effect not having discovered gunpowder would have had on civilization? Would a suitable replacement been found? How would the battlefield evolve without it and where would be today without it?

Well, yeah the Chinese did have gunpowder for ages before the Euorpeans thought: something that goes boom, should make for a decent weapon...
Anyhow, exploding missiles were age-old by then; and a bit of Calciumcarbonate + Strong Acids...