No, it’s not Google, Apple, Facebook, or Walmart. It’s not even a company. Innovation is driven by many different forces, but arguably the greatest innovative force in history is also the most destructive. Maybe you guessed it by now, it’s WAR.
Origin of the Chariot
Throughout the history of the world, war has left its mark on the world, mostly in the form of destruction and desolation. Yet, there is a brighter side to war–the innovation it sparks. War, and the desperate times it causes, often forces nations to solve problems they never had before or go to lengths they never needed to in order to take down the enemy. Where would the world be without the chariot and domesticated horses. For thousands of years horses pulled wagons for all sorts of reasons, but its original purpose was to fight in battle and make archers more mobile.
Tractors: The Replacement for Horses
It should come as no surprise then that the machine that essentially eliminated the need for horses on the farms was thrust into greater use by the forces of war. The tractor more than any other machine revolutionized the mechanization of farming. However, the tractor didn’t really catch on until World War I and ultimately it was the war that promoted greater competition and innovation of the tractor.
I recently came across this passage from Lee Klancher’s Tractor: The Heartland Innovation, Ground-Breaking Machines, Midnight Schemes, Secret Garages, and Farmyard Geniuses That Mechanized Agriculture:
The war effort used tractors both to pull military equipment as well as to boost farmers’ productivity, a much-needed assist as farms were struggling with labor shortages due to men being enlisted and dying in the war.
For better or worse, the mechanization of the farm can trace its roots to humanity’s appetite for destruction, particularly when manifested in worldwide conflicts.
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There it is. As the world fell into “The War to End All Wars,” it had a dramatic need for food and farm labor. Therefore, the tractor became a necessity rather than a luxury and risky investment. In the years following the war, the number of tractor manufacturers skyrocketed. The innovation and widespread use of the tractor would have been much slower without the greatest innovative force in history-war.
A Positive of War?
War never seems like it could be a good thing. Yet, world changing innovations often result from war. In fact, the development of the Internet actually came out of Cold War fears of the Soviet Union. Desperate times lead to desperate measures and often world-changing innovations.