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Weapons have existed
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as long as human kind.
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(gun bangs)
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For millennia, they have determined
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the destiny of generations.
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(explosion rumbles)
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Weapons bring suffering and death.
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They show what humans can
inflict upon other humans.
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(explosion rumbles)
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But they're also intended to keep the peace
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and pave new ways for technology.
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(upbeat music)
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Three weapons that increase
the bloodshed in battles.
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Deadly innovations, their invention
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changed the course of global history.
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(gun bangs)
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Detailed experiments reveal
the secrets of these weapons.
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(metal clangs)
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The Henry Rifle, making it rain bullets
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in the American Civil War.
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This weapon was a game changer.
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It made world history.
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(metal clangs)
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The long sword, the medieval super weapon.
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In battle, a real life battle,
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this could mean life or death.
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The Scorpio, Roman high tech tool
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with enormous impact.
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That's gone straight through
a millimeter of steel.
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{\an8}Our first weapon is known as a Scorpio.
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{\an8}It is a Roman ranged weapon.
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{\an8}What makes it so special?
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(typing clacks)
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Lower Saxony, Germany, 230CE.
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(thunder cracks)
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Thousands of Roman
Legionnaires are marching south
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in heavy armor and with heavy equipment.
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Along the western end of
the Harz highland area,
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they faced Germanic warriors in battle.
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The Romans storm a hill
and claim the victory.
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(soldiers fight and yell)
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How did they do it?
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(swords clang)
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Archeologists have been unearthing remains
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of the battle since 2008.
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The Harzhorn is one of the most important
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dig sites in Germany.
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The experts are surprised
about one thing in particular;
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the large number of bolt heads.
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Many of them are bent.
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They must have hit their
goal at full speed.
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{\an8}(speaks in foreign language)
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{\an8}The archeological finds
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{\an8}from the Harzhorn suggest that the Romans
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{\an8}used catapults with bolts in
a very targeted manner there.
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Hundreds of bolts were found still buried
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deeply within the ground.
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Experts were able to
reconstruct the trajectory
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and based on the direction
the shots were fired in,
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they think the Romans
actively tried to stop
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a Teutonic attack with those catapults.
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The Romans call their bolt catapult
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scorpio, probably because their form
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bears a similarity to
the dangerous arachnids.
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A Legion of 5000 men carries
up to 60 of these weapons.
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The Scorpio must have been really efficient
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to make it worth the
cumbersome transportation.
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In addition to the bolt heads
found in the excavations,
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the detailed documentations
by Roman engineer,
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{\an8}Marcus Vitruvius Pollio, revealed the most
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{\an8}about how the weapon was constructed.
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{\an8}His work on ancient technology
and engineering skills
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are still astonishing to this day.
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This copy of his ten books on architecture
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dates back to the 15th Century.
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In this work,
written in the First century BCE,
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he describes a scorpio as a weapon
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that has, "been invented for safety's sake
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"and as a protection against danger."
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There are depictions of a scorpio
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on the famous Trajan's
Column from a 113CE as well.
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We can easily see two large cylinders,
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left and right, from the arm's trajectory.
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Is this the secret behind
its enormous impact?
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How does this weapon work?
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Why do Germanic warriors dread the scorpio?
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Military historian
Stephen Bull is fascinated
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by the Roman art of engineering.
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Today, he wants to conduct an experiment
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with a scorpio built according
to historical examples.
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One weapon, various ways of building it.
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They all have one thing in common;
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they have a firing channel for the bolt,
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a sinew, and throwing arms.
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Ideas that the Romans did
not come up with themselves.
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{\an8}When the Romans got hold of good ideas
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{\an8}they invariably improved
them and with the Scorpio
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{\an8}they take a Greek
Hellenistic throwing engine
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and they turn it into a
useful battle field weapon.
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This isn't just a siege machine,
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this is now part of the
way the Roman Army fights
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battle as well as siege,
so they make it lighter
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they make it more portable, they make it
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easier to move and they
make it more effective
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by increasing the power and increasing
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the quality of the projectiles.
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There's just an all round upgrade.
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(upbeat battle music)
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How much impact does a scorpio
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really have and how precisely
can you hit a target?
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Distance to target in the
first experiment, 20 meters.
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Stephen Bull and his
team prepare the scorpio
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for firing, they push the
adjustable slay forwards,
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pull the sinew into place,
and push the slay back again.
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The last step is aiming the
artillery at the target.
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So I'm ready with the bolt.
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And I'm ready to shoot.
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(machine clacks)
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(machine bangs)
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(wood rattles)
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Not bad, it's on target.
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So this has been a pretty effective shot.
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It's actually gone all
the way into the board
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a couple of centimeters thick,
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and doubtless you can
see the end of the arrow,
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the bolt, projecting on the
other side of the board.
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A mobile, artillery weapon,
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the scorpio combines
firing power and precision.
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(upbeat dramatic music)
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Thin wooden pieces enable its
relatively light construction.
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In order to transport it,
the Romans disassemble
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the scorpio into separate parts
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and put it back together
where they want to use it.
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The scorpio depended on
the principle of torsion.
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It's levers were embedded in
skeins of tightly twisted rope.
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When the trigger was released,
that force was released
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and the arrow shot forward
with tremendous power.
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In ancient times, the torsion bundles
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are made of horse or human hair,
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or animal sinew braided into bundles.
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They store energy when twisted.
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The energy is transmitted directly
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to the projectile upon firing.
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(metal clangs)
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Our scorpio reconstruction has two
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of these tightly twisted ropes,
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housed in a typical bronze cylinders.
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One assistant has to
re-tighten them regularly.
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In our reconstruction, they are made
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of synthetic fibers that
are more weather resistant
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than the animal sinew used by the Romans.
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In a final step,
Stephen Bull inserts a pointed bolt
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which is 60 centimeters long.
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The Roman Empire had very few essential
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weapons, the gladius is one of them,
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the pilum, things like this, the scorpio
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is one of the weapons that helps them
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to improve their performance and we know
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that they use it in some
very interesting places.
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In Britain it's used to capture
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some very large Iron Age
fortresses on the Tor hills
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so it's a very useful artillery piece
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to bring up for assault operations
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and to use in battle.
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Gaul, 52BCE
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The Roman troops under Gaius Julius Caesar
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have been trying to conquer the land
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for five years.
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Time and again they have to defeat revolts
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of Gaelic rulers, and now Caesar
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is facing a new threat;
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the Gauls are intending to unite
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under their leader, Vercingetorix.
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{\an8}Vercingetorix is significant
because he's the first
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{\an8}person to persuade all of the Gauls,
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{\an8}or almost all of them that unless they want
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{\an8}to be compiled with there
universal Roman Empire
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and lose their identity,
they're gonna have to fight
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and it's no good one
of the tribes fighting,
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all the tribes have to fight, they all
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have to fight together
and they have to believe
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in something more than
they're small tribal groups
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and he makes enormous progress in building
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this sense of identity
which some French people
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will look back on as the
beginnings of a modern France.
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But the Legionnaires are merciless.
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Also, when it comes to using the scorpio.
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Caesar wrote,
"A Gaul before the gate of the town
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{\an8}"was pierced with a bolt from a scorpio
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{\an8}"on the right side and fell dead.
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{\an8}"Another Gaul stepped over
him to fight in his place.
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{\an8}"He got shot by an arrow
from a scorpio as well."
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Caesar defeats the Gauls.
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Their leader, Vercingetorix,
is forced to surrender.
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The Gaul's resistance is broken.
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Legend has it that
Vercingetorix had to lay down
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all his weapons in front of Caesar's feet
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after his capitulation.
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{\an8}The scene has also been
immortalized in drawings
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{\an8}and in a first book from the
Asterix comic book series.
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{\an8}The many adventures of Asterix and Obelix
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{\an8}are based on historical facts;
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the Roman occupation of Gaul.
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In a comic series,
the Gauls unwilling to surrender
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defend their last
stronghold, a small village
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at the northern shore of France.
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They have plenty of clever
ideas, and magic potion.
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The life of Gauls and
Romans, and often also
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their weapons, are a recurring
topic in the Asterix series.
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The drawings of siege
weapons and fortifications
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impress with their level
of detail and accuracy.
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Generally speaking,
they correspond to the originals.
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(dramatic music)
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Whether it's a Roman camp with correctly
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depicted tent rows,
or their famous battle formation.
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It has all been captured in the comics.
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Reality, however, is probably far crueler.
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Every Legion deploys about 60 scorpios.
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According to Caesar's
accounts, they basically
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mowed down their enemies.
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(crowd screams and yells)
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(dramatic music)
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Once aimed,
the weapon is said to reliably hit
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the same target with every shot.
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Stephen Bull wants to find out
if that is really possible.
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That way, that's it, now that's okay,
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yeah, looks good to me.
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Stephen Bull has his men aim the scorpio.
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Fire at will.
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(machine clacks)
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(wood clacks)
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Ah.
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Will the next shots
really hit the same spot?
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(wood clacks)
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(metal whirs)
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(wood clacks)
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So we've got a couple of shots
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which are pretty close together here.
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That's reasonable.
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Maybe 45 centimeters, 50 centimeters away
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from the other side of the group.
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And we also had a couple of misses.
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For the ancient world,
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this is remarkably accurate.
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But what about penetrating power?
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Can the scorpio bolt also pierce
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through armor and shields?
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What we have here is a one
millimeter steel plate.
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We're not really going for accuracy.
250
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We're going for penetration.
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Let's see how it does.
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(metal clacks)
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00:13:26,007 --> 00:13:27,877
(metal clangs)
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(metal clangs)
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00:13:30,071 --> 00:13:32,396
(metal clangs)
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(metal clangs)
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That's gone straight through
a millimeter of steel.
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00:13:38,030 --> 00:13:41,463
The heavy bolt head has
focused the force on the point.
259
00:13:45,190 --> 00:13:47,579
It's not come all the way through the wood,
260
00:13:47,580 --> 00:13:50,779
but it's nailed the metal to the wood.
261
00:13:50,780 --> 00:13:53,229
If you'd been this metal as armor,
262
00:13:53,230 --> 00:13:55,080
the result wouldn't be very pleasant.
263
00:13:56,310 --> 00:13:57,329
So we're gonna try and get the arrow
264
00:13:57,330 --> 00:13:58,503
out of the steel plate.
265
00:14:02,090 --> 00:14:03,940
I think it'll come given some effort.
266
00:14:05,153 --> 00:14:07,236
(groans)
267
00:14:08,966 --> 00:14:09,993
Yes.
268
00:14:11,790 --> 00:14:14,991
It appears to have gone maybe a centimeter
269
00:14:14,992 --> 00:14:18,225
and a half, so it's gone through the armor
270
00:14:18,226 --> 00:14:22,259
and then more than a centimeter behind.
271
00:14:22,260 --> 00:14:23,563
Quite a nasty injury.
272
00:14:25,360 --> 00:14:27,759
The scorpio has passed this test
273
00:14:27,760 --> 00:14:29,773
but can it perform even better?
274
00:14:30,890 --> 00:14:33,069
So we've succeeded in penetrating
275
00:14:33,070 --> 00:14:35,009
one millimeter of steel.
276
00:14:35,010 --> 00:14:37,169
Just to make life difficult for ourselves,
277
00:14:37,170 --> 00:14:39,259
{\an8}we've added a second plate to make it
278
00:14:39,260 --> 00:14:41,109
{\an8}two millimeters of steel.
279
00:14:41,110 --> 00:14:43,610
{\an8}This is going to be a
serious test of penetration.
280
00:14:45,449 --> 00:14:48,035
(wood clacks)
281
00:14:48,036 --> 00:14:50,619
(metal clangs)
282
00:14:53,912 --> 00:14:56,412
(metal bangs)
283
00:14:58,861 --> 00:15:00,729
Hit the target, bottom right.
284
00:15:00,730 --> 00:15:03,630
How deep did the bolt
head go into the steel?
285
00:15:05,090 --> 00:15:06,163
Not very deep.
286
00:15:09,330 --> 00:15:11,883
But certainly through both steel plates.
287
00:15:14,538 --> 00:15:16,779
(metal clangs)
288
00:15:16,780 --> 00:15:18,676
So the first plate's come off,
289
00:15:18,677 --> 00:15:21,649
and we can see the second plate underneath.
290
00:15:21,650 --> 00:15:24,369
The penetration through the second plate
291
00:15:24,370 --> 00:15:25,939
is obviously not as serious
292
00:15:25,940 --> 00:15:28,709
as the penetration through the first plate,
293
00:15:28,710 --> 00:15:31,029
but it's still gone all the way through.
294
00:15:31,030 --> 00:15:33,309
So this is the first hole, all the way
295
00:15:33,310 --> 00:15:37,093
through the plate,
and this is the second hole,
296
00:15:38,130 --> 00:15:41,219
not so deep, but still all the way through
297
00:15:41,220 --> 00:15:42,963
and I can feel the wood behind.
298
00:15:45,270 --> 00:15:47,369
Based on the archeological excavations
299
00:15:47,370 --> 00:15:49,979
at the Harzhorn, experts estimate
300
00:15:49,980 --> 00:15:52,269
that it was possible to fire deadly shots
301
00:15:52,270 --> 00:15:56,433
with a scorpio over a
distance of up to 500 meters.
302
00:15:58,290 --> 00:16:00,449
It is one of the most
efficient ranged weapons
303
00:16:00,450 --> 00:16:02,319
of the ancient world.
304
00:16:02,320 --> 00:16:05,669
The Romans built the scorpio
for several centuries.
305
00:16:05,670 --> 00:16:07,709
It remains unclear when it disappeared
306
00:16:07,710 --> 00:16:09,579
from the Legions' equipment.
307
00:16:09,580 --> 00:16:11,869
It is possible that the torsion technique
308
00:16:11,870 --> 00:16:14,009
which is quite complex to operate
309
00:16:14,010 --> 00:16:16,319
was replaced by the more simple mechanism
310
00:16:16,320 --> 00:16:18,473
of the swinging arms of the catapults.
311
00:16:24,460 --> 00:16:27,129
{\an8}Our next weapon, the sword.
312
00:16:27,130 --> 00:16:30,693
It is intrinsically tied to
the medieval world of knights.
313
00:16:31,720 --> 00:16:34,879
But the sword is more
than just a weapon of war.
314
00:16:34,880 --> 00:16:38,439
It is a status symbol,
the epitome of power.
315
00:16:38,440 --> 00:16:40,633
The stuff legends are made of.
316
00:16:44,460 --> 00:16:46,639
The Battle of Lechfeld near Augsburg,
317
00:16:46,640 --> 00:16:49,283
South Germany in 955.
318
00:16:50,830 --> 00:16:53,129
King Otto I defends the Christian
319
00:16:53,130 --> 00:16:56,343
east Francia against the
attacking Hungarians.
320
00:16:57,430 --> 00:17:00,439
The extremely mobile and
light Hungarian riders
321
00:17:00,440 --> 00:17:02,579
have spread fear and terror in the Empire
322
00:17:02,580 --> 00:17:07,363
for decades, but this
time, they stand no chance.
323
00:17:08,350 --> 00:17:10,709
With their swords, Otto's knights cause
324
00:17:10,710 --> 00:17:13,587
substantial loss for the Hungarians.
325
00:17:13,588 --> 00:17:16,755
(men scream and yell)
326
00:17:25,130 --> 00:17:27,099
Stefan Roth has been forging for more
327
00:17:27,100 --> 00:17:30,308
than 20 years, copying historical models
328
00:17:30,309 --> 00:17:32,649
and knows that swords are far more
329
00:17:32,650 --> 00:17:34,683
than just brutal cutting weapons.
330
00:17:37,300 --> 00:17:38,300
For me, personally,
331
00:17:38,301 --> 00:17:40,669
medieval swords are incredibly fascinating
332
00:17:40,670 --> 00:17:43,109
{\an8}and long swords in
particular, because I know
333
00:17:43,110 --> 00:17:45,599
{\an8}precisely how these
weapons are manufactured
334
00:17:45,600 --> 00:17:48,749
{\an8}and how elaborate the
whole forging process is.
335
00:17:48,750 --> 00:17:49,819
The earliest finds
336
00:17:49,820 --> 00:17:52,189
from Esentepe in Turkey date back
337
00:17:52,190 --> 00:17:54,569
more than five thousand years.
338
00:17:54,570 --> 00:17:58,439
This means a history of
swords is older than writing.
339
00:17:58,440 --> 00:18:01,719
The Romans use their short
sword, the gladius.
340
00:18:01,720 --> 00:18:03,799
In late antiquity, they switch to
341
00:18:03,800 --> 00:18:05,817
a longer version, the spatha.
342
00:18:07,060 --> 00:18:10,519
Teutons and Vikings also love longer swords
343
00:18:10,520 --> 00:18:13,483
and enshrine their
favorite weapon in legends.
344
00:18:15,210 --> 00:18:17,819
To this day, the myths around Excalibur
345
00:18:17,820 --> 00:18:20,429
from the Arthurian legend live on.
346
00:18:20,430 --> 00:18:22,689
It rests within a stone.
347
00:18:22,690 --> 00:18:25,053
It is said to have magical powers.
348
00:18:27,433 --> 00:18:30,742
{\an8}(speaks foreign language)
349
00:18:30,743 --> 00:18:31,759
{\an8}The one who manages to take
350
00:18:31,760 --> 00:18:33,969
{\an8}Excalibur out of the stone, is said
351
00:18:33,970 --> 00:18:35,770
to be the rightful ruler of Britain.
352
00:18:40,270 --> 00:18:43,909
The swords represent power, claim to power,
353
00:18:43,910 --> 00:18:45,899
and are an integral part of many
354
00:18:45,900 --> 00:18:48,293
{\an8}coronation ceremonies as regalia.
355
00:18:49,820 --> 00:18:51,539
{\an8}But real swords are also
356
00:18:51,540 --> 00:18:53,869
{\an8}the subject of many myths, just like
357
00:18:53,870 --> 00:18:55,959
{\an8}the Ulfberht, a Germanic sword
358
00:18:55,960 --> 00:18:58,549
{\an8}from the early Middle Ages, forged between
359
00:18:58,550 --> 00:19:00,423
the eight and eleventh century.
360
00:19:01,540 --> 00:19:04,459
Archeologists have found about 170 copies
361
00:19:04,460 --> 00:19:06,239
of it all over Europe.
362
00:19:06,240 --> 00:19:08,389
They all share one distinctive feature;
363
00:19:08,390 --> 00:19:10,543
the inscription Ulfberht.
364
00:19:13,100 --> 00:19:15,009
{\an8}What we're looking at here, is a trademark.
365
00:19:15,010 --> 00:19:16,629
{\an8}It's a brand, it's a way of selling
366
00:19:16,630 --> 00:19:19,119
{\an8}a product by saying this
is a quality product.
367
00:19:19,120 --> 00:19:22,343
{\an8}Everybody knows this mark equals good.
368
00:19:24,630 --> 00:19:26,389
Precious swords are also
369
00:19:26,390 --> 00:19:29,473
a status symbol for
noblemen in the Middle Ages.
370
00:19:31,900 --> 00:19:34,989
Archeologists, however,
regularly find blades
371
00:19:34,990 --> 00:19:38,663
marked Ulfberht of
significantly lower quality.
372
00:19:40,340 --> 00:19:43,193
Were these just cheap
copies of the popular brand?
373
00:19:45,420 --> 00:19:47,613
Product counterfeiting in the Middle Ages?
374
00:19:52,376 --> 00:19:55,449
(speaks foreign language)
375
00:19:55,450 --> 00:19:56,949
A renowned brand,
376
00:19:56,950 --> 00:19:59,029
probably a forger called Ulfberht,
377
00:19:59,030 --> 00:20:01,783
who manufactures a special
weapon gets copied.
378
00:20:02,730 --> 00:20:04,769
Usually the material is inferior,
379
00:20:04,770 --> 00:20:07,069
but just like today,
there were different buyers
380
00:20:07,070 --> 00:20:08,543
for different quality levels.
381
00:20:09,800 --> 00:20:11,609
There were swords of high quality
382
00:20:11,610 --> 00:20:13,369
and those of rather poor quality
383
00:20:13,370 --> 00:20:15,429
in the Middle Ages, depending on the amount
384
00:20:15,430 --> 00:20:18,119
of money the buyer was willing to spend.
385
00:20:18,120 --> 00:20:20,389
If you want a superior weapon, you have
386
00:20:20,390 --> 00:20:22,203
to be willing to invest in it too.
387
00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:25,889
Over the course of the Middle Ages,
388
00:20:25,890 --> 00:20:29,823
simple armor evolves into
more stable plate armor.
389
00:20:30,950 --> 00:20:32,979
Knights no longer need shields,
390
00:20:32,980 --> 00:20:34,889
but can use both hands to swing
391
00:20:34,890 --> 00:20:37,899
a longer, heavier sword at the enemy.
392
00:20:37,900 --> 00:20:40,579
And they have to, because their opponents
393
00:20:40,580 --> 00:20:44,439
are also clad in massive
iron suits of armor.
394
00:20:44,440 --> 00:20:47,339
Knights fighting with a
light, single-handed sword
395
00:20:47,340 --> 00:20:49,745
no longer stand a chance.
396
00:20:49,746 --> 00:20:52,539
(dramatic music)
397
00:20:52,540 --> 00:20:55,147
Around the same time, but on the other
398
00:20:55,148 --> 00:20:57,549
side of the world, in
Japan, Samurai warriors
399
00:20:57,550 --> 00:21:00,713
fight with a katana,
another two-handed sword.
400
00:21:02,290 --> 00:21:04,889
It's a very, very aggressive weapon.
401
00:21:04,890 --> 00:21:06,869
Whereas a sword and shield combination
402
00:21:06,870 --> 00:21:09,229
gives you options, a two-handed sword
403
00:21:09,230 --> 00:21:11,609
gives you no option, you attack.
404
00:21:11,610 --> 00:21:13,959
You attack until you kill the enemy.
405
00:21:13,960 --> 00:21:15,609
And the strokes you use to kill the enemy
406
00:21:15,610 --> 00:21:17,926
which the Japanese still teach in Kendo,
407
00:21:17,927 --> 00:21:21,003
mostly involve chopping
off the head and right arm.
408
00:21:22,480 --> 00:21:24,039
Stefan Roth has examined
409
00:21:24,040 --> 00:21:26,169
both long swords for years.
410
00:21:26,170 --> 00:21:28,469
The katana is known as the masterpiece
411
00:21:28,470 --> 00:21:31,329
of Far Eastern weapons technology.
412
00:21:31,330 --> 00:21:33,839
The blade is curved, single-edged,
413
00:21:33,840 --> 00:21:36,653
and 60 to 75 centimeters long.
414
00:21:37,550 --> 00:21:39,269
The long sword, on the other hand,
415
00:21:39,270 --> 00:21:41,339
has a broad, double-edged blade,
416
00:21:41,340 --> 00:21:46,340
with a very sharp point and
measures 80 to 120 centimeters.
417
00:21:53,770 --> 00:21:55,509
The expert knows the advantages
418
00:21:55,510 --> 00:21:58,329
and disadvantages of both weapons.
419
00:21:58,330 --> 00:22:00,769
Which one is the better sword?
420
00:22:00,770 --> 00:22:02,569
The historical forging technique
421
00:22:02,570 --> 00:22:05,029
is basically the same for both.
422
00:22:05,030 --> 00:22:08,299
Stefan Roth folds the
scorching hot iron bars
423
00:22:08,300 --> 00:22:10,719
several times in order to obtain
424
00:22:10,720 --> 00:22:13,183
steel which is as stable as possible.
425
00:22:15,260 --> 00:22:17,829
This folding process is a cleaning process.
426
00:22:17,830 --> 00:22:19,689
We have to get rid of the slag, ashes
427
00:22:19,690 --> 00:22:21,969
and charcoal that remain
within the material.
428
00:22:21,970 --> 00:22:23,669
If I want to forge a sword, I need
429
00:22:23,670 --> 00:22:26,119
the best material I can get, and of course,
430
00:22:26,120 --> 00:22:28,679
I am trying to make it
as refined as possible
431
00:22:28,680 --> 00:22:31,573
in order to obtain steel that
is relatively homogenous.
432
00:22:32,430 --> 00:22:34,649
In the beginning, the carbon molecules
433
00:22:34,650 --> 00:22:37,779
within the steel are
not distributed equally.
434
00:22:37,780 --> 00:22:40,429
{\an8}By folding the steel repeatedly, however,
435
00:22:40,430 --> 00:22:42,509
{\an8}Stefan Roth can blend them together
436
00:22:42,510 --> 00:22:44,559
{\an8}in a more homogenous way.
437
00:22:44,560 --> 00:22:46,893
Unlike the belief held
by some Samurai fans,
438
00:22:46,894 --> 00:22:50,019
Medieval Japanese blacksmiths neither had
439
00:22:50,020 --> 00:22:53,169
better steel nor superior
forging techniques.
440
00:22:53,170 --> 00:22:56,409
Roth is convinced Europe's
sword manufacturers
441
00:22:56,410 --> 00:22:59,259
could compete with them, and in some cases,
442
00:22:59,260 --> 00:23:01,333
even produce better weapons.
443
00:23:03,730 --> 00:23:05,189
When it comes to stability,
444
00:23:05,190 --> 00:23:07,499
European long swords totally out-perform
445
00:23:07,500 --> 00:23:09,129
their Japanese counterparts.
446
00:23:09,130 --> 00:23:10,529
For example, because the blade
447
00:23:10,530 --> 00:23:12,319
is completely hardened throughout,
448
00:23:12,320 --> 00:23:15,110
this is not the case for Japanese swords.
449
00:23:15,111 --> 00:23:18,286
This can be achieved by heating the steel
450
00:23:18,287 --> 00:23:21,393
and quickly placing it in water to cool it.
451
00:23:23,170 --> 00:23:25,753
This way, the metal becomes much harder.
452
00:23:26,619 --> 00:23:29,286
(intense music)
453
00:23:34,342 --> 00:23:36,321
(speaks in foreign language)
454
00:23:36,322 --> 00:23:37,329
This means the Japanese sword
455
00:23:37,330 --> 00:23:39,569
cannot withstand impacts from the side.
456
00:23:39,570 --> 00:23:41,749
It bends, it doesn't bounce back.
457
00:23:41,750 --> 00:23:43,639
This sword has a rhombic section,
458
00:23:43,640 --> 00:23:45,659
{\an8}depending on how thick the blade is,
459
00:23:45,660 --> 00:23:47,659
{\an8}it is technically almost like a crow bar
460
00:23:47,660 --> 00:23:49,159
{\an8}that you place on the armor where you
461
00:23:49,160 --> 00:23:51,449
{\an8}intend to penetrate and then, well,
462
00:23:51,450 --> 00:23:53,009
for the man wearing the armor, this
463
00:23:53,010 --> 00:23:54,433
is anything but comfortable.
464
00:23:55,400 --> 00:23:57,669
The direct comparison shows
465
00:23:57,670 --> 00:24:00,709
both swords are about
eight millimeters thick
466
00:24:00,710 --> 00:24:04,089
but the long sword has
a rhombic cross section.
467
00:24:04,090 --> 00:24:06,149
This makes it more stable.
468
00:24:06,150 --> 00:24:10,099
In addition to that,
it is completely hardened throughout,
469
00:24:10,100 --> 00:24:11,689
whereas this is only the case
470
00:24:11,690 --> 00:24:14,683
for the sharp edge of a
blade on a Japanese katana.
471
00:24:15,640 --> 00:24:19,619
But how well do both swords
perform in real life?
472
00:24:19,620 --> 00:24:21,629
Stefan Roth wants to find out.
473
00:24:21,630 --> 00:24:24,379
Together with katana
warrior, Alexander Manti,
474
00:24:24,380 --> 00:24:26,923
who is an expert in Asian martial arts.
475
00:24:27,940 --> 00:24:29,459
Can the long sword cut through
476
00:24:29,460 --> 00:24:32,619
a 1.5 millimeter thick metal plate?
477
00:24:32,620 --> 00:24:35,943
And how will the extremely
sharp Japanese katana perform?
478
00:24:36,934 --> 00:24:39,684
(dramatic music)
479
00:24:40,724 --> 00:24:43,739
(metal clangs)
480
00:24:43,740 --> 00:24:46,559
Despite Alexander's targeted blow,
481
00:24:46,560 --> 00:24:49,373
the katana can only cut
through half of the steel.
482
00:24:54,070 --> 00:24:56,039
With his long sword, Stefan Roth
483
00:24:56,040 --> 00:24:58,733
manages to get through
the entire steel plate.
484
00:25:00,200 --> 00:25:04,073
Our next test,
how well do both weapons penetrate?
485
00:25:10,670 --> 00:25:13,099
And indeed, the katana pierces through
486
00:25:13,100 --> 00:25:14,973
the steel plate with its point.
487
00:25:28,661 --> 00:25:30,799
(speaks foreign language)
488
00:25:30,800 --> 00:25:31,760
The European sword
489
00:25:31,761 --> 00:25:33,949
is of course, predestined for penetrating
490
00:25:33,950 --> 00:25:37,549
because it is long, pointed,
and most of all, straight.
491
00:25:37,550 --> 00:25:40,349
This means the energy can
be directed at one point.
492
00:25:40,350 --> 00:25:42,079
You can see very nicely how deep
493
00:25:42,080 --> 00:25:44,479
the blade has penetrated the metal.
494
00:25:44,480 --> 00:25:45,999
Just imagine you'd have a knight
495
00:25:46,000 --> 00:25:48,549
wearing armor of maybe not the best quality
496
00:25:48,550 --> 00:25:49,569
it could very well be possible
497
00:25:49,570 --> 00:25:51,513
that the sword goes through it.
498
00:25:53,700 --> 00:25:56,179
The direct comparison reveals
499
00:25:56,180 --> 00:25:59,393
the long sword penetrated
the steel twice as deep.
500
00:26:01,150 --> 00:26:03,339
But both swords would have probably failed
501
00:26:03,340 --> 00:26:05,129
if the steel had been any thicker.
502
00:26:05,130 --> 00:26:08,479
Nevertheless,
the massive blows of the long sword
503
00:26:08,480 --> 00:26:11,209
have a particularly brutal effect.
504
00:26:11,210 --> 00:26:13,273
Also, on the armor clad knight.
505
00:26:16,404 --> 00:26:18,309
{\an8}(speaks foreign language)
506
00:26:18,310 --> 00:26:19,709
{\an8}Like the name suggests,
507
00:26:19,710 --> 00:26:22,499
{\an8}the long sword must be a certain length.
508
00:26:22,500 --> 00:26:24,869
It comes with a certain weight too.
509
00:26:24,870 --> 00:26:26,969
If you strike a blow, it's very important
510
00:26:26,970 --> 00:26:28,819
to calculate the energy resulting
511
00:26:28,820 --> 00:26:30,729
from this movement, and energy
512
00:26:30,730 --> 00:26:33,989
can be calculated mainly
based on two factors;
513
00:26:33,990 --> 00:26:36,349
one the weight, and two the speed.
514
00:26:36,350 --> 00:26:38,419
A long sword is of course suitable
515
00:26:38,420 --> 00:26:41,029
if it's used very quickly to transfer
516
00:26:41,030 --> 00:26:42,733
a very large amount of energy.
517
00:26:46,290 --> 00:26:48,709
And even if the opponent is wearing armor,
518
00:26:48,710 --> 00:26:50,623
the energy still hits their body.
519
00:26:52,540 --> 00:26:54,109
Depending on where it hits them,
520
00:26:54,110 --> 00:26:57,279
they can suffer injuries
like subcutaneous bleeding,
521
00:26:57,280 --> 00:26:59,349
broke bones, or internal bleeding
522
00:26:59,350 --> 00:27:01,873
that can later reach the
brain, for example.
523
00:27:03,400 --> 00:27:05,319
To this day, the prevailing image
524
00:27:05,320 --> 00:27:08,049
is that the Japanese
Samurai battle techniques
525
00:27:08,050 --> 00:27:11,319
are superior to those of Medieval knights.
526
00:27:11,320 --> 00:27:12,883
But is it really true?
527
00:27:14,800 --> 00:27:17,869
Stefan Roth and katana
warrior Alexander Manti
528
00:27:17,870 --> 00:27:21,173
want to compare the options
that both weapons offer.
529
00:27:23,760 --> 00:27:26,961
The single-edged katana comes first.
530
00:27:26,962 --> 00:27:29,712
(dramatic music)
531
00:27:34,510 --> 00:27:36,789
Alexander cuts through the rolled mat
532
00:27:36,790 --> 00:27:38,633
four times without any effort.
533
00:27:40,410 --> 00:27:42,189
The double-edged European long sword
534
00:27:42,190 --> 00:27:44,888
allows for other sword play techniques.
535
00:27:44,889 --> 00:27:47,472
(sword clangs)
536
00:27:54,810 --> 00:27:55,720
The difference between
537
00:27:55,721 --> 00:27:58,119
the single-edged and
the double-edged swords
538
00:27:58,120 --> 00:28:00,648
is that he has to turn his hand.
539
00:28:00,649 --> 00:28:03,149
(wood smacks)
540
00:28:04,864 --> 00:28:07,789
(wood smacks)
541
00:28:07,790 --> 00:28:09,459
We have a natural hand position
542
00:28:09,460 --> 00:28:11,379
and maybe only save a millisecond,
543
00:28:11,380 --> 00:28:13,939
but in battle, a real life battle,
544
00:28:13,940 --> 00:28:15,440
this could mean life or death.
545
00:28:17,880 --> 00:28:19,529
In reality, the two swords
546
00:28:19,530 --> 00:28:22,919
never actually met blade
to blade on a battlefield.
547
00:28:22,920 --> 00:28:26,803
The Medieval European long
sword, a supreme discipline.
548
00:28:30,200 --> 00:28:32,319
{\an8}Books on battle techniques provide proof
549
00:28:32,320 --> 00:28:34,309
{\an8}of the degree of sophistication of
550
00:28:34,310 --> 00:28:37,189
{\an8}the European sword combat techniques.
551
00:28:37,190 --> 00:28:39,729
{\an8}Like the Italian Fiore Della Battaglia,
552
00:28:39,730 --> 00:28:42,763
The Flower of Battle,
from the early fifteen century.
553
00:28:43,910 --> 00:28:45,999
Such books mostly present the techniques
554
00:28:46,000 --> 00:28:48,499
used in duels or exhibition fights
555
00:28:48,500 --> 00:28:50,933
and seem quite brutal to a modern audience.
556
00:28:54,360 --> 00:28:57,039
{\an8}I think the depictions of the violence
557
00:28:57,040 --> 00:28:58,309
{\an8}that we used with the long swords
558
00:28:58,310 --> 00:29:01,279
{\an8}in the Middle Ages was
completely, very barbaric.
559
00:29:01,280 --> 00:29:03,478
If we compare to modern times, however,
560
00:29:03,479 --> 00:29:05,539
I don't think that they were necessarily
561
00:29:05,540 --> 00:29:08,199
any more barbaric than
things that we've seen
562
00:29:08,200 --> 00:29:09,609
in recent years.
563
00:29:09,610 --> 00:29:13,649
We've seen levels of torture over the past
564
00:29:13,650 --> 00:29:16,249
hundred years that are just as barbaric
565
00:29:16,250 --> 00:29:18,719
as the things we see in the Middle Ages.
566
00:29:18,720 --> 00:29:21,039
So I think it was just a different time
567
00:29:21,040 --> 00:29:24,669
with different weapons that could do
568
00:29:24,670 --> 00:29:27,369
horrific amounts of harm.
569
00:29:27,370 --> 00:29:29,249
The Codex Wallerstein is another
570
00:29:29,250 --> 00:29:32,809
martial arts manual dating
back to the fifteen century.
571
00:29:32,810 --> 00:29:35,019
It does indeed depict the versatility
572
00:29:35,020 --> 00:29:37,549
of long swords, but it also shows
573
00:29:37,550 --> 00:29:40,769
how merciless the fighting techniques were.
574
00:29:40,770 --> 00:29:43,619
We see, for example, the half-sword thrust.
575
00:29:43,620 --> 00:29:45,739
You hold the sword like a billiard cue
576
00:29:45,740 --> 00:29:48,829
and thrust into the gaps
of the opponents armor.
577
00:29:48,830 --> 00:29:51,579
The names of other techniques
speak for themselves.
578
00:29:51,580 --> 00:29:54,039
Translated they mean, mouth blow,
579
00:29:54,040 --> 00:29:56,173
murder strike, or testicle strike.
580
00:29:59,470 --> 00:30:01,269
In the late Middle Ages the long sword
581
00:30:01,270 --> 00:30:03,629
is less frequently used in battle,
582
00:30:03,630 --> 00:30:05,329
but still plays an important role
583
00:30:05,330 --> 00:30:07,459
in duels between knights.
584
00:30:07,460 --> 00:30:11,499
It often serves to establish the
truth, as they say.
585
00:30:11,500 --> 00:30:13,449
The outcome of the duel, is seen
586
00:30:13,450 --> 00:30:14,983
as a judgment of God.
587
00:30:17,710 --> 00:30:19,749
The katana also holds a particular
588
00:30:19,750 --> 00:30:21,699
symbolic value for the Samurai,
589
00:30:21,700 --> 00:30:23,809
the Japanese warrior elite.
590
00:30:23,810 --> 00:30:25,819
Over the course of time, the lethal
591
00:30:25,820 --> 00:30:28,729
military weapon becomes a prestige object
592
00:30:28,730 --> 00:30:30,603
laden with ritual meaning.
593
00:30:35,770 --> 00:30:38,869
{\an8}The sword is something of enormous
594
00:30:38,870 --> 00:30:41,689
{\an8}mythic significance across all cultures
595
00:30:41,690 --> 00:30:44,049
{\an8}but in some particularly for Japan,
596
00:30:44,050 --> 00:30:46,839
the sword is the ultimate
expression of identity.
597
00:30:46,840 --> 00:30:50,129
Both as a personal possession and as a way
598
00:30:50,130 --> 00:30:53,749
of representing who the
Japanese think they are.
599
00:30:53,750 --> 00:30:55,409
Swords and their successors
600
00:30:55,410 --> 00:30:57,729
remain dreaded close combat weapons
601
00:30:57,730 --> 00:31:00,089
well into the modern era.
602
00:31:00,090 --> 00:31:01,549
They were eventually phased out
603
00:31:01,550 --> 00:31:03,969
for soldiers and replaced with firearms,
604
00:31:03,970 --> 00:31:06,103
pikes, and lastly, bayonets.
605
00:31:07,256 --> 00:31:09,629
(guns fire)
606
00:31:09,630 --> 00:31:12,579
But this doesn't mean
swords fall into oblivion.
607
00:31:12,580 --> 00:31:14,519
The Medieval wonder weapon lives on
608
00:31:14,520 --> 00:31:17,289
to this day, for representative purposes
609
00:31:17,290 --> 00:31:20,481
and in the various disciplines of fencing.
610
00:31:20,482 --> 00:31:24,039
(dramatic music)
611
00:31:24,040 --> 00:31:25,839
The triumphal march of fire arms
612
00:31:25,840 --> 00:31:27,932
does not only end the age of swords,
613
00:31:27,933 --> 00:31:30,559
{\an8}constant improvements also make rifles
614
00:31:30,560 --> 00:31:33,239
{\an8}the dominating weapon of an entire era.
615
00:31:33,240 --> 00:31:36,479
{\an8}One particular crucial
and destructive design
616
00:31:36,480 --> 00:31:37,903
{\an8}is the Henry rifle.
617
00:31:40,175 --> 00:31:42,508
{\an8}(gun bangs)
618
00:31:43,836 --> 00:31:46,139
(typing clacks)
619
00:31:46,140 --> 00:31:49,873
1861, the beginning of
the American Civil War.
620
00:31:52,800 --> 00:31:54,789
The Unionists from the North, fight
621
00:31:54,790 --> 00:31:57,293
the Confederates from the Southern states.
622
00:31:59,120 --> 00:32:00,779
The standard weapon of the North
623
00:32:00,780 --> 00:32:02,899
is the Springfield rifle, a muzzle
624
00:32:02,900 --> 00:32:04,963
loader with high accuracy.
625
00:32:11,060 --> 00:32:13,839
But the reloading process is cumbersome
626
00:32:13,840 --> 00:32:15,653
and it takes a lot of time.
627
00:32:18,210 --> 00:32:20,573
A quite simple invention will change that.
628
00:32:22,000 --> 00:32:24,069
Almost overnight, the Henry Rifle
629
00:32:24,070 --> 00:32:26,483
increases the rate of fire remarkably.
630
00:32:27,470 --> 00:32:30,653
Similar developments take place
in Europe at the same time.
631
00:32:35,310 --> 00:32:39,299
A shooting range near
Gotha, Thuringia, Germany.
632
00:32:39,300 --> 00:32:42,863
Wolfgang Stabe Builds and
collects historical firearms.
633
00:32:43,768 --> 00:32:45,529
There is hardly a nineteenth century weapon
634
00:32:45,530 --> 00:32:48,609
that fascinates him quite like the Henry.
635
00:32:48,610 --> 00:32:51,027
(gun clicks)
636
00:32:55,499 --> 00:32:58,256
(gun bangs)
637
00:32:58,257 --> 00:33:00,590
(gun bangs)
638
00:33:02,264 --> 00:33:03,881
(gun clicks)
639
00:33:03,882 --> 00:33:04,720
I feel like a pioneer
640
00:33:04,721 --> 00:33:06,939
in the Wild West,
this weapon was a game changer
641
00:33:06,940 --> 00:33:08,529
not only for the American continent,
642
00:33:08,530 --> 00:33:09,883
it's made world history.
643
00:33:12,080 --> 00:33:14,829
The American gunsmith Benjamin Tyler Henry
644
00:33:14,830 --> 00:33:16,579
gives the weapon its name.
645
00:33:16,580 --> 00:33:19,329
The magazine holds 15 cartridges.
646
00:33:19,330 --> 00:33:22,229
One additional round can
be loaded in the barrel.
647
00:33:22,230 --> 00:33:24,639
The rifle weighs about four kilograms,
648
00:33:24,640 --> 00:33:27,759
the barrel is 51 centimeter long.
649
00:33:27,760 --> 00:33:31,069
The most important
detail, it can be reloaded
650
00:33:31,070 --> 00:33:33,543
with a lever located below the barrel.
651
00:33:35,198 --> 00:33:36,031
(speaks foreign language)
652
00:33:36,032 --> 00:33:37,069
When you pull the lever,
653
00:33:37,070 --> 00:33:38,829
the empty cartridge is ejected
654
00:33:38,830 --> 00:33:41,749
and the next round is
brought into position.
655
00:33:41,750 --> 00:33:44,109
{\an8}So you only need one movement to operate
656
00:33:44,110 --> 00:33:46,683
{\an8}the weapon with greater
ease and reliability.
657
00:33:48,194 --> 00:33:50,529
(speaks foreign language)
658
00:33:50,530 --> 00:33:51,699
I push the lever down
659
00:33:51,700 --> 00:33:53,879
and a new cartridge is
loaded from the magazine
660
00:33:53,880 --> 00:33:56,019
into the chamber using a spring,
661
00:33:56,020 --> 00:33:57,605
and now it's in the chamber.
662
00:33:57,606 --> 00:33:58,823
As easy as that.
663
00:33:59,710 --> 00:34:04,082
Now I can fire, reload, and fire again.
664
00:34:04,083 --> 00:34:06,396
(gun bangs)
665
00:34:06,397 --> 00:34:09,889
(dramatic music)
666
00:34:09,890 --> 00:34:12,690
The mechanism of the Henry repeating rifle.
667
00:34:13,590 --> 00:34:16,249
Via a small bar, the lever action
668
00:34:16,250 --> 00:34:18,793
transports a new cartridge into the barrel.
669
00:34:19,930 --> 00:34:23,419
At the same time,
it ejects the empty shell.
670
00:34:23,420 --> 00:34:25,850
The hammer then files the cartridge.
671
00:34:25,851 --> 00:34:27,513
(gun bangs)
672
00:34:27,514 --> 00:34:28,702
(gun bangs)
673
00:34:28,703 --> 00:34:29,856
(gun bangs)
674
00:34:29,857 --> 00:34:30,948
(gun bangs)
675
00:34:30,949 --> 00:34:32,060
(gun bangs)
676
00:34:32,061 --> 00:34:33,749
(gun bangs)
677
00:34:33,750 --> 00:34:35,429
{\an8}This weapon was a master stroke.
678
00:34:35,430 --> 00:34:37,359
{\an8}This is a tubular magazine.
679
00:34:37,360 --> 00:34:40,269
{\an8}We have a spring that transports
the projectile properly
680
00:34:40,270 --> 00:34:42,899
and you turn the barrel at the front.
681
00:34:42,900 --> 00:34:45,369
So this whole thing is the tubular magazine
682
00:34:45,370 --> 00:34:47,313
and it can take a lot of bullets.
683
00:34:48,870 --> 00:34:50,209
The Henry is not the first
684
00:34:50,210 --> 00:34:53,009
lever-action repeating
rifle, but the ammunition
685
00:34:53,010 --> 00:34:56,939
used by its predecessors
is often unpredictable.
686
00:34:56,940 --> 00:34:58,029
Sometimes, when firing
687
00:34:58,030 --> 00:34:59,609
the weapon, they hit the percussion cap
688
00:34:59,610 --> 00:35:02,619
of the cartridge in the
front, causing it to ignite.
689
00:35:02,620 --> 00:35:04,189
That means that the whole magazine
690
00:35:04,190 --> 00:35:07,419
goes off at once and blast
the weapon completely.
691
00:35:07,420 --> 00:35:10,073
This leads to bad accidents,
sometimes even fatal.
692
00:35:11,460 --> 00:35:13,009
The Henry will become famous
693
00:35:13,010 --> 00:35:16,429
due to the stable rimfire
cartridges it uses.
694
00:35:16,430 --> 00:35:18,489
Those are much safer because they work
695
00:35:18,490 --> 00:35:20,529
without a percussion cap.
696
00:35:20,530 --> 00:35:22,629
In combination with the repeater mechanism
697
00:35:22,630 --> 00:35:24,729
which allows the cartridges to be reloaded
698
00:35:24,730 --> 00:35:28,613
very quickly, the invention
becomes a deadly technology.
699
00:35:31,151 --> 00:35:33,819
(gun clicks)
700
00:35:33,820 --> 00:35:36,099
The magazine on the Henry rifle has a gap
701
00:35:36,100 --> 00:35:38,459
on the lower side, a guidance bar
702
00:35:38,460 --> 00:35:41,159
for the push bolt, this is a weakness
703
00:35:41,160 --> 00:35:43,499
because mud can enter the magazine.
704
00:35:43,500 --> 00:35:46,173
A disadvantage in battle, and there's more.
705
00:35:47,490 --> 00:35:48,681
They soon realized that
706
00:35:48,682 --> 00:35:50,209
the tubular magazine is a weak spot.
707
00:35:50,210 --> 00:35:52,989
If the weapon falls,
the magazine can be dented.
708
00:35:52,990 --> 00:35:54,789
It's made of relatively thin metal
709
00:35:54,790 --> 00:35:56,719
and then I can't reload the weapon anymore
710
00:35:56,720 --> 00:35:58,420
and can no longer shoot obviously.
711
00:35:59,680 --> 00:36:01,089
Never the less, compared
712
00:36:01,090 --> 00:36:03,259
to the muzzle loader muskets of its era,
713
00:36:03,260 --> 00:36:05,963
the Henry rifle is a major leap forward.
714
00:36:13,720 --> 00:36:16,199
{\an8}Benjamin Tyler Henry is smart.
715
00:36:16,200 --> 00:36:18,209
{\an8}He knows if his rifle is successful
716
00:36:18,210 --> 00:36:20,599
with the military, he will become rich.
717
00:36:20,600 --> 00:36:22,909
He files a patent application for the rifle
718
00:36:22,910 --> 00:36:26,549
on the 16th October,
1860, about five months
719
00:36:26,550 --> 00:36:29,179
before the outbreak of the Civil War.
720
00:36:29,180 --> 00:36:30,523
A wise decision.
721
00:36:32,070 --> 00:36:34,309
Because the history of war has shown
722
00:36:34,310 --> 00:36:37,369
if new weapons technology
proves to be successful,
723
00:36:37,370 --> 00:36:41,139
everyone will try to copy
it, including the enemy.
724
00:36:41,140 --> 00:36:43,669
This has been the practice
of bellicose conflicts
725
00:36:43,670 --> 00:36:48,670
for millennia, but now,
a new variable comes into play.
726
00:36:48,960 --> 00:36:50,103
The patent law.
727
00:36:51,110 --> 00:36:53,769
{\an8}The earliest evidence of
patent law traces back
728
00:36:53,770 --> 00:36:56,679
{\an8}to Ancient Greece,
and it becomes a recurring topic
729
00:36:56,680 --> 00:36:59,269
{\an8}in Europe from the
fifteenth century onwards.
730
00:36:59,270 --> 00:37:01,719
{\an8}The legal definition of patent law
731
00:37:01,720 --> 00:37:04,739
{\an8}develops in the early nineteenth century
732
00:37:04,740 --> 00:37:07,373
{\an8}and has close ties to weapons production.
733
00:37:09,810 --> 00:37:12,089
{\an8}Just before the age of industrialized,
734
00:37:12,090 --> 00:37:15,399
{\an8}mass production reaches hand weapons,
735
00:37:15,400 --> 00:37:19,289
{\an8}rifles, pistols, intellectual property law
736
00:37:19,290 --> 00:37:22,009
changes so that it's possible to protect
737
00:37:22,010 --> 00:37:24,829
the design, the intellectual property
738
00:37:24,830 --> 00:37:27,309
in the construction of a weapon.
739
00:37:27,310 --> 00:37:29,439
Not the weapon itself, but the design
740
00:37:29,440 --> 00:37:32,009
and the principles on which its based.
741
00:37:32,010 --> 00:37:35,166
Weapons designers now become millionaires
742
00:37:35,167 --> 00:37:37,719
just like Samuel Colt,
who applies for a patent
743
00:37:37,720 --> 00:37:40,863
with his revolver mechanism
in the mid-nineteenth century.
744
00:37:41,870 --> 00:37:43,609
Other manufacturers are not allowed
745
00:37:43,610 --> 00:37:48,103
to copy his design,
this sparks the most bizarre ideas.
746
00:37:49,350 --> 00:37:51,499
One competitor designs a revolver
747
00:37:51,500 --> 00:37:54,319
with a horizontally placed magazine.
748
00:37:54,320 --> 00:37:56,239
It turns like a record.
749
00:37:56,240 --> 00:37:59,313
The ammunition is placed
in six holes on the sides.
750
00:38:00,800 --> 00:38:02,699
The turret pistol does not infringe
751
00:38:02,700 --> 00:38:05,709
Samuel Colt's patent
rights, but it is a threat
752
00:38:05,710 --> 00:38:07,259
to the shooter's life.
753
00:38:07,260 --> 00:38:09,129
The cartridges sometimes go off
754
00:38:09,130 --> 00:38:11,833
uncontrollably into all directions.
755
00:38:15,753 --> 00:38:16,586
(dramatic music)
756
00:38:16,587 --> 00:38:18,429
It is also thanks to patent law
757
00:38:18,430 --> 00:38:20,279
that the armament business is flourishing
758
00:38:20,280 --> 00:38:21,723
today around the globe.
759
00:38:23,730 --> 00:38:26,419
Every year, defense spending world wide
760
00:38:26,420 --> 00:38:29,933
amounts to about 1.7 trillion US dollars.
761
00:38:35,320 --> 00:38:38,009
Back to the shooting range near Gotha.
762
00:38:38,010 --> 00:38:41,069
Wolfgang Stabe wants to find out how fast
763
00:38:41,070 --> 00:38:42,489
he can fire 10 shots with
764
00:38:42,490 --> 00:38:45,043
Benjamin Tyler Henry's patented rifle.
765
00:38:46,500 --> 00:38:48,279
So I insert nine cartridges
766
00:38:48,280 --> 00:38:50,899
repeat them once,
making the whole thing safe,
767
00:38:50,900 --> 00:38:53,089
releasing again, and then I open the weapon
768
00:38:53,090 --> 00:38:54,969
and place the tenth cartridge into it.
769
00:38:54,970 --> 00:38:57,013
And now, 10 shots of rapid fire.
770
00:38:58,230 --> 00:38:59,499
We will stop the timer
771
00:38:59,500 --> 00:39:01,953
after the last shot has been fired.
772
00:39:01,954 --> 00:39:03,308
(timer beeps)
773
00:39:03,309 --> 00:39:04,452
(gun bangs)
(gun bangs)
774
00:39:04,453 --> 00:39:05,595
(gun bangs)
(gun bangs)
775
00:39:05,596 --> 00:39:07,135
(gun bangs)
(gun bangs)
776
00:39:07,136 --> 00:39:08,413
(gun bangs)
(gun bangs)
777
00:39:08,414 --> 00:39:12,009
(gun bangs)
(gun bangs)
778
00:39:12,010 --> 00:39:13,889
We needed eight point eight seconds,
779
00:39:13,890 --> 00:39:15,669
less than one second per shot.
780
00:39:15,670 --> 00:39:17,264
That's fantastic.
781
00:39:17,265 --> 00:39:18,230
(gun bangs)
782
00:39:18,231 --> 00:39:20,179
More than one shot per second.
783
00:39:20,180 --> 00:39:23,253
In the nineteenth century,
this was a quantum leap.
784
00:39:24,820 --> 00:39:27,439
For the Unionists of
the American Civil War,
785
00:39:27,440 --> 00:39:31,299
the Henry rifle should
be an enormous advantage.
786
00:39:31,300 --> 00:39:33,689
But the high rate of fire is exactly
787
00:39:33,690 --> 00:39:35,503
what puts the generals off.
788
00:39:36,340 --> 00:39:39,009
They think cartilages
will be shot too fast.
789
00:39:39,010 --> 00:39:41,899
The ammunition consumption
would be too high
790
00:39:41,900 --> 00:39:44,139
and that railway and horses could not
791
00:39:44,140 --> 00:39:46,669
provide sufficient supply.
792
00:39:46,670 --> 00:39:49,559
A superior weapon that is rarely deployed
793
00:39:49,560 --> 00:39:50,993
for logistic reasons.
794
00:39:53,630 --> 00:39:55,629
The weapon had enormous
795
00:39:55,630 --> 00:39:57,459
fire power, that means troops needed
796
00:39:57,460 --> 00:39:59,339
a lot of ammunition which was expensive
797
00:39:59,340 --> 00:40:00,919
as was the weapon itself.
798
00:40:00,920 --> 00:40:03,619
So the American generals
were really hesitant.
799
00:40:03,620 --> 00:40:05,909
They only bought 1700 of the Henry
800
00:40:05,910 --> 00:40:07,119
because they were worried they couldn't
801
00:40:07,120 --> 00:40:08,733
get hold of enough ammunition.
802
00:40:11,740 --> 00:40:13,359
Soldiers who could afford it
803
00:40:13,360 --> 00:40:15,053
get a Henry on their own.
804
00:40:17,450 --> 00:40:20,423
Hoping that it will increase
their chances of survival.
805
00:40:22,510 --> 00:40:24,699
By the end of the war, about 7000
806
00:40:24,700 --> 00:40:26,563
of these rifles are in use.
807
00:40:28,060 --> 00:40:30,579
By comparison, more than one million
808
00:40:30,580 --> 00:40:33,793
Springfield muzzle loaders are
built during the same period.
809
00:40:38,360 --> 00:40:40,499
Meanwhile, in Europe, another technology
810
00:40:40,500 --> 00:40:43,189
conquers the battle
grounds, with its extreme
811
00:40:43,190 --> 00:40:45,569
rate of fire, the breechloading needle-gun
812
00:40:45,570 --> 00:40:47,759
by German inventor von Dreyse,
813
00:40:47,760 --> 00:40:50,403
leads European war tactics into cover.
814
00:40:53,150 --> 00:40:55,659
The Henry rifle never makes it to Europe
815
00:40:55,660 --> 00:40:57,689
and still many Germans know it.
816
00:40:57,690 --> 00:41:00,979
As the Henry carbine
used by Old Shatterhand,
817
00:41:00,980 --> 00:41:04,569
a character from German author,
Karl May's Winnetou series.
818
00:41:04,570 --> 00:41:06,229
In the novels, the weapon is, however,
819
00:41:06,230 --> 00:41:08,829
said to be able to fire 25 shots;
820
00:41:08,830 --> 00:41:10,013
an exaggeration.
821
00:41:12,425 --> 00:41:14,129
(dramatic music)
822
00:41:14,130 --> 00:41:17,329
Which advantage does the
real Henry bring in battle?
823
00:41:17,330 --> 00:41:20,359
Weapons expert Wolfgang
Stabe tests how efficient
824
00:41:20,360 --> 00:41:23,283
the repeating rifle is
compared to muzzle loaders.
825
00:41:25,070 --> 00:41:27,669
Four experienced shooters
are facing each other
826
00:41:27,670 --> 00:41:30,599
in teams of two, left in turquoise,
827
00:41:30,600 --> 00:41:32,813
the Northern states with the Henry rifle.
828
00:41:34,950 --> 00:41:36,689
Right in red, the Southern states
829
00:41:36,690 --> 00:41:38,829
with the Springfield musket, the most
830
00:41:38,830 --> 00:41:41,483
frequently used weapon in the US Civil War.
831
00:41:42,840 --> 00:41:44,839
How many targets will the teams be able
832
00:41:44,840 --> 00:41:46,393
to hit in two minutes?
833
00:41:47,580 --> 00:41:49,829
So, everything's safe, we can begin.
834
00:41:49,830 --> 00:41:52,489
This is the timer,
we'll start it in a moment.
835
00:41:52,490 --> 00:41:54,109
Give it your best shot, I'll do the same.
836
00:41:54,110 --> 00:41:55,559
We want to win.
837
00:41:55,560 --> 00:41:57,693
Live experiment, North versus South.
838
00:41:58,695 --> 00:42:01,195
(timer beeps)
839
00:42:02,500 --> 00:42:05,269
Both groups have to load
their weapons first.
840
00:42:05,270 --> 00:42:06,609
The Northerners with the Henry
841
00:42:06,610 --> 00:42:08,789
load 10 shots for the experiments.
842
00:42:08,790 --> 00:42:10,499
The Southerners with the muzzle loader
843
00:42:10,500 --> 00:42:12,323
can load just one at a time.
844
00:42:19,445 --> 00:42:20,663
(gun bangs)
845
00:42:20,664 --> 00:42:24,819
(gun bangs)
(glass shatters)
846
00:42:24,820 --> 00:42:27,333
(gun bangs)
(gun bangs)
847
00:42:27,334 --> 00:42:29,667
(gun bangs)
848
00:42:31,257 --> 00:42:33,590
(gun bangs)
849
00:42:34,986 --> 00:42:39,986
(gun bangs)
(glass shatters)
850
00:42:41,501 --> 00:42:43,079
Turquoise is in the lead.
851
00:42:43,080 --> 00:42:45,049
The repeater rifle makes them faster
852
00:42:45,050 --> 00:42:47,793
and the shots actually hit
a couple of the targets.
853
00:42:50,203 --> 00:42:51,036
(gun bangs)
854
00:42:51,036 --> 00:42:51,869
(gun bangs)
855
00:42:51,870 --> 00:42:55,169
(glass shatters)
856
00:42:55,170 --> 00:42:57,409
The Southerners in red have to reload
857
00:42:57,410 --> 00:43:00,699
after every shot,
but their muskets are more accurate.
858
00:43:00,700 --> 00:43:02,214
Who will win?
859
00:43:02,215 --> 00:43:03,359
(timer beeps)
(gun bangs).
860
00:43:03,360 --> 00:43:04,360
Stop.
861
00:43:05,820 --> 00:43:07,159
There's so much smoke
862
00:43:07,160 --> 00:43:09,249
you can hardly see anything, but I'm glad
863
00:43:09,250 --> 00:43:12,149
we hit something,
this was a pretty cool experience.
864
00:43:12,150 --> 00:43:13,737
It's great.
865
00:43:13,738 --> 00:43:15,549
(speaks foreign language)
866
00:43:15,550 --> 00:43:16,829
The first one went right through
867
00:43:16,830 --> 00:43:18,899
and hit one of the targets, I'm not sure
868
00:43:18,900 --> 00:43:21,269
about the second because
like Rommie just said,
869
00:43:21,270 --> 00:43:23,883
there is just too much smoke
and you can't see well.
870
00:43:24,880 --> 00:43:26,099
A soldier fires a lot
871
00:43:26,100 --> 00:43:28,489
but does he actually hit something?
872
00:43:28,490 --> 00:43:30,319
The evaluation shows
873
00:43:30,320 --> 00:43:32,159
three out of five shots fired by
874
00:43:32,160 --> 00:43:34,109
the muzzle loader group were a hit.
875
00:43:34,110 --> 00:43:36,739
Whereas the Henry rifle shooters have fired
876
00:43:36,740 --> 00:43:39,433
25 shots and have 10 hits.
877
00:43:42,574 --> 00:43:43,819
{\an8}(speaking foreign language)
878
00:43:43,820 --> 00:43:45,029
{\an8}We fired a lot, but if you
879
00:43:45,030 --> 00:43:47,479
{\an8}extrapolate that,
we actually performed worse,
880
00:43:47,480 --> 00:43:49,186
{\an8}because we let ourselves get carried away
881
00:43:49,187 --> 00:43:51,859
and fired quickly instead of aiming well.
882
00:43:51,860 --> 00:43:53,689
The others took their time.
883
00:43:53,690 --> 00:43:55,479
They knew they were slower, but in the end,
884
00:43:55,480 --> 00:43:57,963
if you look at the
outcome, they fired better.
885
00:43:59,880 --> 00:44:01,789
The result, regarding the total
886
00:44:01,790 --> 00:44:03,859
number of hits, the Henry prevails
887
00:44:03,860 --> 00:44:07,219
over the muzzle loader,
an additional advantage
888
00:44:07,220 --> 00:44:09,749
is that soldiers feel superior in battle
889
00:44:09,750 --> 00:44:12,726
when they can fire faster and more often.
890
00:44:12,727 --> 00:44:14,396
(gun bangs)
891
00:44:14,397 --> 00:44:16,119
(water sloshes)
892
00:44:16,120 --> 00:44:18,556
{\an8}The side that has the superior weapons,
893
00:44:18,557 --> 00:44:22,609
{\an8}will have a sense of power that we are
894
00:44:22,610 --> 00:44:26,469
{\an8}the stronger enemy and we can overtake you,
895
00:44:26,470 --> 00:44:29,629
and therefore, you're inferior to us.
896
00:44:29,630 --> 00:44:34,630
So they will feel confident and powerful
897
00:44:34,880 --> 00:44:37,729
which will make them stronger and give them
898
00:44:37,730 --> 00:44:40,259
more enthusiasm to be able to go on
899
00:44:40,260 --> 00:44:41,483
and take their enemy.
900
00:44:43,090 --> 00:44:44,779
For four years, the Civil War
901
00:44:44,780 --> 00:44:46,323
tears the country apart.
902
00:44:47,330 --> 00:44:50,693
Roughly 620 thousand
people lose their lives.
903
00:44:51,870 --> 00:44:55,109
{\an8}On the 23rd June, 1865, the last
904
00:44:55,110 --> 00:44:56,823
{\an8}of the Southern troops surrender.
905
00:44:57,830 --> 00:45:00,633
This marks a watershed in American history.
906
00:45:01,800 --> 00:45:05,113
After this war,
repeater rifles gain in popularity.
907
00:45:09,810 --> 00:45:13,259
An advanced version of the
Henry is just around the corner.
908
00:45:13,260 --> 00:45:15,689
The Winchester is supposed to make up
909
00:45:15,690 --> 00:45:17,540
for the downsides of its predecessor.
910
00:45:20,871 --> 00:45:22,699
(speaks foreign language)
911
00:45:22,700 --> 00:45:24,319
So, the successor.
912
00:45:24,320 --> 00:45:26,189
Like all new designs, the first models
913
00:45:26,190 --> 00:45:29,229
have their flaws,
there are still construction issues.
914
00:45:29,230 --> 00:45:30,669
But they soon found out that something
915
00:45:30,670 --> 00:45:33,509
wasn't running smoothly
and quickly modified it.
916
00:45:33,510 --> 00:45:35,249
So this is the technical successor,
917
00:45:35,250 --> 00:45:39,329
the Yankee rifle,
manufactured by Winchester in 1866
918
00:45:39,330 --> 00:45:41,499
and the differences were quite simple.
919
00:45:41,500 --> 00:45:44,049
You see a front stock here, which protects
920
00:45:44,050 --> 00:45:45,209
me from the heat of the barrel,
921
00:45:45,210 --> 00:45:48,019
and of course,
you see the tubular magazine.
922
00:45:48,020 --> 00:45:49,429
They soon found out that the magazine
923
00:45:49,430 --> 00:45:51,069
was easily damaged and then you couldn't
924
00:45:51,070 --> 00:45:53,759
fire it anymore,
it wasn't good for anything anymore.
925
00:45:53,760 --> 00:45:56,759
So they changed it,
and there's another novelty
926
00:45:56,760 --> 00:45:58,139
and that is that you can load it
927
00:45:58,140 --> 00:46:00,299
from here on the side, that means
928
00:46:00,300 --> 00:46:02,799
if I take the weapon now,
I'm able to reload it
929
00:46:02,800 --> 00:46:04,779
from cover here, I don't have to take
930
00:46:04,780 --> 00:46:07,301
that off like this if I want to reload.
931
00:46:07,302 --> 00:46:09,348
Way too complicated,
932
00:46:09,349 --> 00:46:11,869
that means this design
that they came up with
933
00:46:11,870 --> 00:46:14,833
in 1866 was truly an ingenious weapon.
934
00:46:16,136 --> 00:46:17,349
(guns bang)
935
00:46:17,350 --> 00:46:19,909
Eventually, the 1873 model will become
936
00:46:19,910 --> 00:46:22,309
the most successful rifle of its time
937
00:46:22,310 --> 00:46:25,009
and will later feature in many Westerns.
938
00:46:25,010 --> 00:46:27,179
This is due to the fact
that weapons designer
939
00:46:27,180 --> 00:46:30,603
Oliver Winchester actively
helped in building the myth.
940
00:46:31,510 --> 00:46:33,899
{\an8}Winchester is a canny operator, rather like
941
00:46:33,900 --> 00:46:36,169
{\an8}Samuel Colt, he's not the engineer,
942
00:46:36,170 --> 00:46:38,629
{\an8}he's the market man, he invents the idea
943
00:46:38,630 --> 00:46:40,389
that this is the gun that won the West.
944
00:46:40,390 --> 00:46:42,749
He creates a mythology about the Winchester
945
00:46:42,750 --> 00:46:45,889
as something special,
something defiantly American,
946
00:46:45,890 --> 00:46:47,490
something unique and particular.
947
00:46:49,460 --> 00:46:51,109
The Henry opens new ways
948
00:46:51,110 --> 00:46:53,659
for the rate of fire of rifles.
949
00:46:53,660 --> 00:46:57,189
Only 14,000 copies are
made because the market
950
00:46:57,190 --> 00:46:59,863
soon is flooded with successor models.
951
00:47:00,800 --> 00:47:03,251
Today, original Henry rifles
952
00:47:03,252 --> 00:47:05,603
are sought after collectibles.
953
00:47:13,400 --> 00:47:15,269
Which deadly inventions will mark
954
00:47:15,270 --> 00:47:16,593
the wars of the future?
955
00:47:19,520 --> 00:47:21,809
After firepower has been optimized,
956
00:47:21,810 --> 00:47:24,563
it seems like robots are
about to take the lead.
957
00:47:25,520 --> 00:47:27,549
Autonomous battle machines that make it
958
00:47:27,550 --> 00:47:30,773
possible to fight wars
without losing soldiers.
959
00:47:31,806 --> 00:47:35,453
Will they decide on life
and death on their own?
960
00:47:38,610 --> 00:47:40,439
Of course in the future, the gun may be
961
00:47:40,440 --> 00:47:43,199
in the hands of an
autonomous robotic device
962
00:47:43,200 --> 00:47:46,159
which will make reasoned
choices about who to kill
963
00:47:46,160 --> 00:47:48,229
and even then, it will still be the humans
964
00:47:48,230 --> 00:47:50,149
driving the process because the program
965
00:47:50,150 --> 00:47:51,850
will have been written by a human.
966
00:47:55,750 --> 00:47:58,563
We're not yet in a world
where machines kill people.
967
00:47:59,649 --> 00:48:01,119
(machine whirs)
968
00:48:01,120 --> 00:48:03,159
Not yet, but many armies
969
00:48:03,160 --> 00:48:05,899
are already experimenting
with autonomous machines
970
00:48:05,900 --> 00:48:08,309
for transporting heavy loads or to
971
00:48:08,310 --> 00:48:09,873
carry out other tasks.
972
00:48:11,710 --> 00:48:14,339
This move towards autonomous weapons
973
00:48:14,340 --> 00:48:16,289
towards weapons that we can fire without
974
00:48:16,290 --> 00:48:17,899
having to actually get physically involved
975
00:48:17,900 --> 00:48:21,069
in battle is inevitable, we have
976
00:48:21,070 --> 00:48:23,359
the technology so we will do this.
977
00:48:23,360 --> 00:48:25,739
Science-fiction isn't science or fiction
978
00:48:25,740 --> 00:48:27,689
it's probably where we're going.
979
00:48:27,690 --> 00:48:29,469
First tests have shown
980
00:48:29,470 --> 00:48:31,509
machines are already able to keep up
981
00:48:31,510 --> 00:48:34,129
with human beings in many situations.
982
00:48:34,130 --> 00:48:36,779
And sometimes even outdo them.
983
00:48:36,780 --> 00:48:39,019
But until now, it is still a human
984
00:48:39,020 --> 00:48:41,803
who dictates every action a robot takes.
985
00:48:42,780 --> 00:48:45,589
The advancements in artificial
intelligence, however
986
00:48:45,590 --> 00:48:47,683
will have an impact on warfare.
987
00:48:48,810 --> 00:48:51,793
Life and death decisions
made my a microchip?
988
00:48:53,920 --> 00:48:55,709
From a technical point of view,
989
00:48:55,710 --> 00:48:57,949
autonomous drone swarms will soon be able
990
00:48:57,950 --> 00:49:01,123
to find and attack targets
without human guidance.
991
00:49:02,160 --> 00:49:04,803
The future has already begun.
75787
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