Industrial-Age Warfare
How did factories, railways and rifles change war? Meet the decline of the cavalry, powerful new artillery, the Cardwell reforms, and the war reporting that changed how the public saw war.
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War in the age of industry 🚂
Between about 1700 and 1900, factories, railways and powerful new weapons changed how war was fought. This module looks at the decline of the cavalry, rifles and heavy artillery, the Cardwell reforms, and the war reporting that changed how the public saw war.
Words to know 🔑
Four terms run through this topic. Learn them first.
How warfare changed ⚔️
Industry reshaped the battlefield and the way armies moved.
Reporting changes minds 💡
From the Crimean War onward, newspaper reporting and photography brought the reality of war to the public for the first time. The best answers LINK this to changing public attitudes toward war, which built pressure for reform, rather than just listing new weapons.
Match the term 🔗
- Rifle
- Artillery
- Cardwell reforms
- War reporting
- A firearm more accurate than the old musket
- Large guns such as field guns and heavy cannon
- Reforms that made the army more professional
- Newspaper accounts and photographs of war
What did industry bring? 🎯
What did industrialisation bring to warfare in this period?
- Railways and steamships to move troops, and mass-produced weapons
- A return to the longbow and the schiltron
- Smaller armies with fewer weapons
- The cavalry becoming the most important force again
Match the effect 📰
- The rifle
- The railway
- The Cardwell reforms
- Photography
- Fired further and more accurately than the musket
- Moved troops and supplies quickly
- Made the army more professional
- Showed the public the reality of war
A more professional army ✅
Which TWO of these show the professionalisation of the army? Choose all that apply.
- The Cardwell army reforms
- Ending the purchase of officer commissions
- Relying on cavalry charges
- Using smoothbore muskets
Put it in order 🪜
An interactive activity.
Complete the sentences 🧩
In this period the _____ declined as firepower grew. The _____ was more accurate than the old musket, and heavy _____ grew more powerful. Steam-powered _____ moved troops quickly. The Cardwell _____ of the 1870s made the army more professional.
Count the years 🔢
An interactive activity.
Spot the effects 🖍️
An interactive activity.
Sort the feature 🧭
An interactive activity.
Explain the change ✍️
An interactive activity.