Pre-1700's

Cannons have been used since the beginning of war, and as their style and sturdiness changes with man; they are still as effective, and growing, as they were in the 13^th century.  All throughout history, cannons have been a large part of weaponry in war, and though this might seem quite odd, cannons have been used since before the 1700’s.  Actually, one of the first cannons, or trebuchets, was made by the Chinese, in the 13th century.  The Chinese basically developed metal tubes with gun powder; this was technically the first cannon ever made.  When using this cannon, and other similar but primitive cannons, it was obvious to see that the cannons made more damage on the side shooting the cannon, rather than the opposing side.  This reaction was caused by the fact that if the cannons were made with the slightest defect, gases within the cannon would explode, causing the death of anyone near by.

One of the first successful artillery was the catapult, and though it was very simple, its style proved to be very successful.  Catapults were proved to be very popular during the Middle Ages, and a very effective way for battle.  Though catapults were successful, and are still used today, they still have their flaws.  Much work was required in launching a catapult.  Once the rock on a catapult is thrown, people go through many steps as they bring the catapult back down, and place another rock on it.