Why would he not realize that countries, generals, kings, and those in power would simply send more men to die? They will not send 2 guys with a machine gun and then simply accept that the battle was lost if their guy loses. No, they will send a million men, as many as are needed to take another foot of ground.
Colonialism was super popular, so a couple of dudes with machine guns could mow down a field of natives with much less risk.
Plus a machine gun is much more impressive than some dudes with single fire guns. A platoon (or whatever fits on a boat or three) can be overrun. Throw a couple of machine guns in with a couple of brutal shows of force and you got yourself a colony.
WW1 was still a ways off and it wasn’t really the target market for your Gatlings and Maxims.
Why would he not realize that countries, generals, kings, and those in power would simply send more men to die? They will not send 2 guys with a machine gun and then simply accept that the battle was lost if their guy loses. No, they will send a million men, as many as are needed to take another foot of ground.
Colonialism was super popular, so a couple of dudes with machine guns could mow down a field of natives with much less risk.
Plus a machine gun is much more impressive than some dudes with single fire guns. A platoon (or whatever fits on a boat or three) can be overrun. Throw a couple of machine guns in with a couple of brutal shows of force and you got yourself a colony.
WW1 was still a ways off and it wasn’t really the target market for your Gatlings and Maxims.
That’s actually a really good point. He must have meant that fewer “civilized” soldiers would die.
It’s more likely he just didn’t think of them at all.
¯\_ (ツ)_/¯
He was clearly not a stupid man by any means, but definitely seems like he was naive.