How far did developments in communications change the nature of warfare in the period 1792-1945?
Nature of warfare = the tactics and strategies used by commanders
Certainly evidence to suggest that developments in communications had significant impact on the nature of
warfare
● Development of the telephone and radio overcame problem of the fog of war allowed more complex
and fluid tactics on the battlefield
○ Telephone
■ WWI - artillery spotting
● Telephone: 1915 - During the first few days of the attack at Loos, target-
marking squadrons equipped with telephones, helped to direct British artillery
onto German targets
○ ⇒ far more powerful artillery
○ WWII - radio
■ Blitzkrieg attacks
● Coordination of tanks, aircraft, infantry and armoured vehicles with radio
allowed for rapid concentrated attacks
○ By contrast
■ Earlier in the period infantry and artillery would be disconnected, with artillery vaguely
directed in the direction of the enemy
● Eg. Eylau 1807, Antietam 1862
● Telegraph allowed more ambitious coordinated strategies with larger armies over a greater area
○ American Civil War
■ Use of the U.S. Military Telegraph Corps (which had installed 4,000 miles of
telegraph wire since 1861) by Grant to coordinate ambitious Spring Offensive of 1864
between armies in different theatres of war
○ Franco-Prussian War
■ Use of telegraph by Moltke's Prussian General Staff to coordinate the rapid
mobilization of 250,000 troops in 1866 to converge at Könnigratz
● Facilitated the strategy of a rapid, decisive war (lasted just 7 weeks)
○ By contrast, distinct lack of coordination previously
■ eg. Napoleonic Wars 3th coalition Russian and Austrian armies were highly lacking in
communication, with the two nations using different calendars coordination of allied
armies was impossible
Nature of warfare = the tactics and strategies used by commanders
Certainly evidence to suggest that developments in communications had significant impact on the nature of
warfare
● Development of the telephone and radio overcame problem of the fog of war allowed more complex
and fluid tactics on the battlefield
○ Telephone
■ WWI - artillery spotting
● Telephone: 1915 - During the first few days of the attack at Loos, target-
marking squadrons equipped with telephones, helped to direct British artillery
onto German targets
○ ⇒ far more powerful artillery
○ WWII - radio
■ Blitzkrieg attacks
● Coordination of tanks, aircraft, infantry and armoured vehicles with radio
allowed for rapid concentrated attacks
○ By contrast
■ Earlier in the period infantry and artillery would be disconnected, with artillery vaguely
directed in the direction of the enemy
● Eg. Eylau 1807, Antietam 1862
● Telegraph allowed more ambitious coordinated strategies with larger armies over a greater area
○ American Civil War
■ Use of the U.S. Military Telegraph Corps (which had installed 4,000 miles of
telegraph wire since 1861) by Grant to coordinate ambitious Spring Offensive of 1864
between armies in different theatres of war
○ Franco-Prussian War
■ Use of telegraph by Moltke's Prussian General Staff to coordinate the rapid
mobilization of 250,000 troops in 1866 to converge at Könnigratz
● Facilitated the strategy of a rapid, decisive war (lasted just 7 weeks)
○ By contrast, distinct lack of coordination previously
■ eg. Napoleonic Wars 3th coalition Russian and Austrian armies were highly lacking in
communication, with the two nations using different calendars coordination of allied
armies was impossible
