Weapons+and+War

Thousands of years more advanced than their western counterparts the people of ancient China dominated their eastern world with their technological advancements in weapons and war. The inventors of many critical weapons and strategies the early dynasties of China gave the world some of its most important technologies.

**__Weapons Development:__** The Chinese people developed a plethora of weapons and manners in which to create these weapons. The Chinese were some of the first to master the art of bronze making and also the first to use iron. **-M**astered the art of bronze making by 2000 BCE -Managed to develop a method to mass production by the time of the Shang dynasty -Provided the Shang warriors with a variety of weapons to use in war
 * **__Bronze__**

-Used in weapons as early as 650 BCE -By 500 BCE used in nearly all metal needs in China -Stronger than bronze made it popular
 * __**Iron**__

-Created when people were searching for the elixir of life -Made of three ingredients ,The most important saltpeter (potassium nitrate) -Required sulfur, increased the speed of combustion -First used in war when a fuse was bathed in gunpowder and placed within the firing chamber of a flame thrower
 * __** Gun powder **__

**__Weapons:__** - Invented around the fourth century BCE -Trigger mechanism in more modern crossbows created around seventh century BCE by a legendary figure, Mr. Ch'in -Bronze trigger were complicated but allowed the cross bow to be fired more reliably -Became a critical part of Chinese army - Said that the cross bow was the strongest weapon in the Chinese army -one of the most common weapons in China -refers to anywhere to 18 different kinds of weapons -the blades could slash, stab, or cause bodily harm of almost any kind of way -can be short and attached to a handle or be long and attached to a long shaft -popular with almost all dynasties however there were periods where it was less popular due to war style
 * __**The Crossbow**__
 * **__The Dao (Saber)__**

- called the "King of the Hundred Weapons" - a long weapon with either a bronze or steel tip -one of the most popular weapons until 1911 when it finally fell out of favor -Cavalry developed during the Xia and Shang dynasties when bronze was used to make chariots -Around 500 BCE Chinese changed to mounted calvary because of threat of mounted invaders -Caused a change in weapons because it was more effective to attack an enemy by slashing rather than stabbing -Caused a change in armor which became basic leather to allow soldiers more mobility -Became the common method of war -Developed weapons expesually designed for that type of war -Attacking armies develope various bombs, catapults, and a special seige ladder -Defending armies used screens and curtains to defend themselves from arrow attacks and such
 * **__ The Qiang (Spear) __**
 * __ War: __**
 * **__ Cavalry __**
 * __**Seige Warfare**__