The Deadliest Weapons Throughout History

Since early swords appeared in the Bronze Age in the 17th century BC, weapons have become increasingly more deadly and complex.

Over time, they have been fine-tuned to maximize offensive and defensive abilities.

Join us as we countdown the 10 deadliest weapons in the history of the world.

10.Crossbow

Before the bow, early weapons like the sword required you to be close to your opponent. The bow changed that. Then the crossbow revolutionized warfare.

Crossbows originated in East Asia around 700 BC. The crossbow is lightweight and easier to use. Yet it shoots an impressive 650 feet away.

Rapid-firing crossbows were able to fire 20 arrows in only 15 seconds. This weapon made the list of top ten weapons because it was the forerunner to many other weapons that allowed soldiers to keep their distance from their opponents.

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9. World War I Machine Gun

Early machine guns were commonly used by WWI. These rapid-fire weapons could fire 550 rounds per minute and became one of the deadliest weapons ever.

The downside was that it was bulky and heavy. Each weighed a minimum of 66 pounds and sat on top of a flat tripod. This weapon needed teams of up to 6 soldiers to operate it.

8. Rifle

Before rifles, muskets were used by infantry. These, however, had low accuracy due to the way they were constructed.

Rifles soon solved the problem of accuracy while still allowing for quick reloading. Towards the end of WWII, the assault rifle was introduced by Germany.

It now became possible for individuals to carry around rapid-fire power. Assault rifles can spit out 550 rounds every 60 seconds. They are easy to reload with a detachable magazine and have a range of at least 330 yards.

Thousands of guerillas and revolutionary movements have adopted assault rifles as their weapon of choice.

7. Tanks

The British introduced the first tank into the war in September 1916. It was and still is considered one of the most lethal weapons due to its mobility and heavily armored exterior.

These tanks could cross trenches and ram through barriers. In theory, they could cross enemy lines without risking the lives of soldiers.

However, there were a lot of kinks to work out. The first tanks would overheat or fill the cabin with toxic fumes. They were slow and had mechanical failures.

Yet, in today’s age tanks remain a key part of most military units. There are 60,000 tanks in active service around the globe.

6. French 75mm Gun

This lethal weapon is considered light artillery. It showers little shrapnel, explosive shells over the enemy at 15 rounds each minute.

These guns could devastate an opponent’s entire cavalry or a squadron out in the open. However, they couldn’t penetrate a bunker.

Yet, by the year 1916, these guns could fire toxic mustard gas and phosgene shells. Mustard gas causes burning skin, eyes and respiratory tract. This gas could make mass groups of soldiers incapacitated.

5. Automatic Grenade Launcher

During the Vietnam war, the USA developed the MK-19 automatic grenade launcher. It could penetrate light-armored vehicles and could be fitted to vehicles including boats.

This lethal weapon used a conveyor belt to fire small grenades into enemy lines. The blast would kill a person that was within 15 feet of the landing site. It could wound anyone within 50 feet.

Over the years, this deadly weapon has continued to be used in warfare. It was used heavily during the Gulf War in 1991 and the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2003.

4. World War II Tank

The tank is on the list of top ten weapons twice. That’s because the WWII tank was produced to the extent of thousands of tanks a month.

These new tanks could reach speeds of 30 mph on roads. Much faster than the tanks used during the previous world war.

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3. World War II Fighter-Bomber

During World War II, planes became much more deadly than ever before. Now they had an all-metal design and engines that could be liquid-cooled. They could even transport a couple of bombs weighing up to 2000 pounds each.

Towards the end of WWII, these fighter-bombers also carried rockets.

2. Fat Man

The top 2 on our list of most lethal weapons are nuclear. There is no comparison to this kind of warfare than anything else used in the history of the world. With the creation of nuclear weapons, humans have discovered the ability to create extinction-level results with weapons.

The Fat Man was a 20-kiloton implosive nuclear weapon with a solid plutonium core. It was detonated for the first time over Nagasaki, Japan on August 9, 1945.

The blast from Fat Man caused an instantaneous 40,000 casualties. The death toll, in the end, was at least 2 times more as many deaths occurred due to the effects of the radiation.

The Soviet Union’s first nuclear weapon was based closely on Fat Man’s design thanks to the work of several spies.

1. 25-Megaton Hydrogen Bomb

Less than 20 years later, the USA had another nuclear bomb that would change the history of modern warfare. It was the largest nuclear weapon ever made and only one aircraft could carry it.

The hydrogen bomb was the most lethal weapon to ever be created by the United States. This bomb was deployed for the first time in 1960.

25 Megatons are the same as 25 million tons of TNT. To put it in comparison, it was 4 thousand times more lethal than Fat Man.

It’s a good thing this deadly weapon was retired a few years after its creation. Some radioactive fragments of a Hydrogen bomb are still sometimes found in Kirtland after an accidental deployment decades ago.

Thankfully, the thermonuclear device was retired shortly after its creation.

Today, there are about 15,000 nuclear weapons in existence. Over 90% of them belong to the United States and Russia.

Deadliest Weapons Through the Ages

We hope you found this list of top 10 deadliest weapons enlightening. We don’t recommend trying to build any of these weapons at home (with the exception of the crossbow).

Note, that in a zombie apocalypse, you will likely need self-protection that you’ll need to make yourself. Check out this list of 9 self-made protective weapons to have ready for when zombies take over the world.

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