出版社:Nauchnyi Izdatel'skii Dom Issledovatel',Academic Publishing House Researcher
摘要:The period known as the ‘Second Industrial Revolution,’ roughly from 1859 to 1883, affected the world’s navies no less than any other human endeavor. The wooden warship that had held sway from the 16th century gave way to iron hulls and iron armor. Sail power gave way to steam engines. And in the field of ordnance, smooth-bore cannon firing spherical solid shot or explosive shell were superseded by rifled cannon – Great Guns – firing elongated shot and shell to greater ranges with greater accuracy. All of the naval Powers faced the same two problems; which new technologies would be accepted and developed, and what to do with their stocks of cast-iron smoothbore guns. As a ‘medium’ Power, the choices made by Spain, coupled with a lack of industrialization, led to limited but brilliant successes, but ultimate failure.