Key Events of World War I for Gunsmiths
This year, every day of every week will fall on the same date as it did in 1914- the year the Great War began. So, you’ve likely seen more than a few World War I retrospectives out there already this year. But this one little different. This one is for you. For you gunsmiths out there, here’s a rundown of a few key events from the Great War, and the famous firearms of the era that have shaped history.
Franz Ferdinand and the Browning M1910
You’ve sat through High School history classes. You likely already know that Archduke Franz of Austria-Hungary was assassinated in Sarajevo while traveling with his motorcade on June 28, 1914. But did you know that his assassin, Gavrilo Princip, used a Browning FN Model 1910 to launch what would later be called the war to end all wars? The Model 1910 used by the young Slavic nationalist was a .380 Automatic pistol.
The M1910 was made exclusively by Fabrique Nationale in Belgium, as Colt had surprisingly rejected the 1910 as a production model. The fact that the American company turned down Browning’s design is surprising since they had previously produced other Browning pistols like the Model 1900, 1902, 1903, 1905, and 1908. But the 1910 became a staple of European military and public safety, as well as an easy-to-conceal firearm for rebellious nationalists like Princip.
In the history books, Ferdinand’s death is cited as the catalyst for WWI for good reason. It lead to a domino effect of alliances, threats, and failed attempts at diplomacy that ultimately resulted in over 15 million deaths, which arguably makes the little M1910 one of the deadliest firearms in human history. The M1910 was such a successful staple of the European firearms industry that it remained in production for over 70 years.
At the time of writing this article, Princip’s M1910 is held at the Museum of Military History in Vienna, Austria.
The First Battle of the Marne and the Model 1897 75mm Field Gun
Alliances were forged quickly after the assassination. And while Austria-Hungary wanted to hold Serbia accountable, Russia, France, and Great Britain sought to protect Serbia from the Central Powers’ retribution. Germany was quick to come to Austria-Hungary’s aid, and wanted to neutralize France’s military potential in the war in hopes of avoiding a two front war against Russia and France. Needless to say, the Allied forces were prepared for Germany, and the German invasion of France was an astounding failure- largely thanks the France’s proficiency with the Model 1897 75mm Field Gun.
The name “field gun” is actually a little misleading to the uninitiated, because in truth, it was a highly maneuverable, rapid-fire canon with an initial firing rate of almost 15-30 rounds per minute (depending on the crew), slowing to 3-4 rounds per minute once the gun heated up. That may sound paltry in comparison to a machine gun, but machine guns of the era were very heavy, so they didn’t boast the same maneuverability- let alone the range and punch of a 75mm round.
Typically manned by four gunners, the Model 1897 sat on two wheels and could be repositioned quickly. It had a range of roughly five miles (8 kms), which is at least three times that of a German machine gun. The Model 1897 also had a pneumatic recoil mechanism, which allowed its barrel to remain in place between rounds. This afforded French soldiers an unsurpassed level of accuracy in the battle. And during the First Battle of Marne in September of 1914, it was the Model 1897 75mm Field Gun that ultimately forced German soldiers to retreat and begin digging trenches in order to hold their ground. This began the infamous era of trench warfare.
At the time of writing this article, the 75mm Field Gun can be seen at The National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, Virginia.
The Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 and the Mosin-Nagant M1891
Led by the Marxist revolutionary Vladimir Lenin, the Bolshevik party seized control of Russia and established the world’s first communist government. The party’s rallying cry of “peace, land and bread” easily won over almost half a million people, who became a formidable force. World War I had left Russia’s military forces stretched thin, and the capital’s insufficient defenses could not prevent the Bolsheviks from taking power.
One of the most ubiquitous and effective firearms of the revolution was the bolt-action, 5-shot Mosin-Nagant M1891. The firearm’s simplicity made it easy to maintain and manufacture, and since it was a standard issue Russian military rifle at the time, millions were already available. Rifles were far more common than handguns in Russia at the time, so Russians repurposed sawed-off versions of the M1891 to fill the need for a more compact weapon.
The Russian civil war that followed the Bolshevik Revolution left the country’s industrial base in shambles, but due to the M1891’s widespread availability and reliability in harsh weather, it remained a staple of Russian combatants. With Russia focused on settling its own civil disputes, she left the Great War, leaving a power vacuum for the Central Powers.
At the time of writing this article, the Mosin-Nagant M1891 is on display at the NRA National Firearms Museum in Fairfax, Virginia.
The 1918 Spring Offensive and the Karabiner 98a
If you’re an American reading this, you’ve probably been waiting for me to talk about America’s entry into the war. And if you’re from virtually any other country I haven’t mentioned, you’re probably annoyed that I haven’t covered your homeland’s contributions. I’m super sorry, but I’ve got to make magic happen in 1000 words or fewer, so I hope you’ll forgive me just this once. But I Digress.
By 1917, America was finally preparing to enter the war. In Mexico, the famous Zimmerman telegram from Germany had been received, requesting that Mexico attack the US. On the high seas, Germany had declared unrestricted submarine warfare, which greatly endangered American shipping. This prompted President Wilson to request that Congress issue a declaration of war and deal with Germany. But Germany wasn’t simply going to wait around for American reinforcements to show up. Germany staged a preemptive attack on the Western Front, the trench which stretched all the way from the Belgian Coast, through Northern France, and all the way to the Swiss border.
Germany staged these attacks with elite soldiers called stormtroopers who were trained to infiltrate enemy lines. Their most commonly used firearm was the bolt-action Karabiner 98a, which was adapted from the Mauser Gewehr 98. The Karabiner 98a’s barrel was six inches shorter than the Gewehr 98’s, making it lighter, but also subject to greater recoil as a result. The Karabiner 98a’s ultimate benefit was that it was relatively smaller than its European contemporaries, which meant it was somewhat easy to transport through the trenches. This gave stormtroopers more space in their kit for valuable munitions like grenades.
Although stormtroopers were highly skilled, there were ultimately too many German casualties for the Spring Offensive too succeed- due to the efforts of the allied forces, who together overwhelmed German attempts at advancement. In short, as proficient as stormtroopers were with the Karabiner 98a, it wasn’t enough to turn the tide of war in their favor.
At the time of writing this article, the Karabiner 98a is on display at the NRA National Firearms Museum in Fairfax, Virginia.
Written by: Lanna Perkins, Educational Writer
