Gatling Gun History

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In 1861 Richard Gatling invented the gun which by turning a clink can provide the firepower of 40 men and kill just as many. Gatling’s purpose for this invention was simple: “If a weapon is so destructive it would be a deterrent that would terrify nations from going to war.” He would turn out to be wrong as the Union would use the weapon against the Confederates just one year later. This philosophy did eventually come true, it just wasn’t for his weapon. Nuclear Bombs are so devastating, they became the deterrent instead of the gun. The fear of total destruction drove countries away from using this military option which is why we are now living in the longest era of peace in human history. However, there were certain times where that “Gatling Gun” was almost used. For two weeks in 1962, the world stood on the edge of nuclear disaster. On October 16, 1962, …show more content…
In fact, one person’s decision saved the conflict from becoming hot. On October 27, a Soviet submarine was on its way to Cuba, which was under quarantine by the United States. An aircraft carrier, the USS Randolph plus 22 destroyers detected the submarine en route to Cuba attempted to enforce the blockade by sending depth charges under the sea, telling them to surface. The men on board, having no clue what is transpiring on the surface, have a heated debate on what to do next. The men assumed that war has begun due to the sound of the depth charge. However, what the Americans did not know was that there was a nuclear torpedo on board which was the focus of this debate on the submarine. In order to launch the torpedo, all three men had to agree. Vasili Arkhipov, second in command, was the only one who voted against using the torpedo, hence saving the world from a potential nuclear holocaust. This one decision singlehandedly prevented the Cold War from getting hot which would have easily led to end of the

How Did Gatling Gun Change Throughout The Civil War

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