War and Invention

War is violent and destructive by its very nature, but wartime is also a period of great social and technological change. Some of the most important inventions ever conceived were meant as solutions to the problems of war. Hitler created the autobahn in order to improve the German infrastructure to prepare for war. In 1946, scientist Percy Spencer discovered that the magnetron (the heart of a military radar set) could also melt chocolate, and the microwave cooker was born. Timeline of War charts the history of warfare and conflict from its birthplace in the Mesopotamia of 5000 BC, to the emergence of Al Qaeda and the terrorism of the 21st century.

Contents

Early Warfare

The Roman Empire

The Middle Ages

Early Modern Warfare

Enlightenment

The Modern Era

VJ Day – Present Day