Superweapon
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A superweapon is a very powerful weapon compared to others of its time or era. In theory, such a weapon could turn around the outcome of a war very quickly. For example, a supergun could render all fortifications obsolete. However, in practice these weapons can be overwhelmed and are costly to implement on a large scale. Most superweapons are used to destroy civilian morale on the opposing side. They can also be helpful to propaganda machines. The German public was repeatedly assured throughout the months of 1943 and 1944 that Wunderwaffen, or wonder weapons, would rescue an otherwise doomed war effort.
Not many superweapons have been widely used. Although the V-1 and V-2 weapons were common during 1944 and 1945 in Europe, the Schwerer Gustav was the only other widely used superweapon. Nuclear weapons have only been used twice, at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and nuclear artillery, bombers and submarines have never been used. Among superguns, the Paris Gun only fired on civilian targets, while Big Bertha was, though famous for shelling Paris from over 40 kilometers away, primarily responsible for smashing the Belgian forts near Liege during World War I in 1914 as part of the Schlieffen Plan.
In modern times superweapons are usually considered to be weapons of mass destruction, and close attention is paid to countries who possess and/or operate such weapons, as well as countries who have operated, researched, funded, or otherwise sought to gain such weaponry such as the United States. This is especially true of so-called "rogue states", as some consider possession of a superweapon by such nations to be a threat to international security.
Weapons that have been regarded as superweapons [edit]
- Nuclear weapons
- Especially the hydrogen bomb, initially known as the "Super"
- Vergeltungswaffe
- Artillery
- Nuclear-capable strategic bombers
- Ballistic Missile Submarines
- Warships
- Space Weapons
