Madrid
Updated:06/06/2022 18:29h
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Fire, in its different forms, has been used as a weapon of attack and defense for millennia. Already in prehistory, when man learned to dominate it, the different tribes lit a large bonfire at the entrance of the caves to protect themselves from large predators. In the Middle Ages, the Byzantines caused real riots among their enemies with liquid fire. But when the Germans introduced the flamethrower to the Argonne Fields and the Battle of Verdun during World War I, the horror came to French soldiers in one of its worst versions.
Not only did they inflict terrible physical damage, but they had a dire effect on the morale of the enemy side. After proving that the simple sight of a flamethrower in action was enough to scare soldiers or force their surrender, they became essential weapons for many armies.