Flamethrowers: Their Psychological Effects in War Weapons have existed since the beginning of humanity. Over thousands of years, human technology has reached unimaginable heights, and with this advancement, humans have mastered the art of war. Weapons are the tools of war. However there are some weapons that are superior to others. One of these weapons is fire. As one of the oldest tools in history, there is no set date as to when the first controlled fire was ever created, although there is evidence to show that it was first controlled as early as 790,000 BC Over the thousands of years that have passed Since then, weapons even those that carry the flame have evolved. However, there is one incendiary weapon that stands out above all others in its ability to instill fear: the flamethrower. This weapon has the most devastating psychological effects on soldiers. The fire itself has the power to inflict fear on the enemy, and the results only intensify when it fires across twenty meters. Flamethrowers are also very dangerous for the aircraft carrier, as they are high-value targets. While effective, these weapons were known to fail quite often, inflicting fear on their users. Tanks armed with flamethrowers were one of the most terrifying things to see on the battlefield. Beyond that, flamethrowers weren't the most reliable weapon in combat. This fearsome incendiary weapon has unparalleled effects. The concept of flamethrowers has been around for centuries. A weapon that shot flames at the target seemed ingenious. However it wasn't until the First World War that much action was finally seen. In 1901, a German scientist named Richard Fiedler built the first modern flamethrower, which...... center of paper......weapons/flamethrower.htm.Pindelski, Jeffrey. “The Impact of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder on Firefighters.” Firehouse.com. June 18, 2013. Accessed May 18, 2014. http://www.firehouse.com/article/10963131/resources-to-help-firefighters-with-post-traumatic-stress-disorder.Foster Law Firm, LCC “Mental Health and psychological impact of a fire". Accessed May 19, 2014. http://www.fosterfoster.com/Burn-Injury-Law/Mental-Health-Psychological-Impact-of-a-Fire.shtml.Brown, Scott. Prepare the kids for battle. Wake Forest, North Carolina: Merchant Adventurers, Inc., 2010.Bean, Tim. "The flamethrower: the worst weapon of war." Milpages. Accessed April 23, 2014.http://www.milpages.com/blog/the-flamethrower-the-worst-weapon-of-wa/.Hurt, Kris. “The discovery of fire”. About.com. 2013. Accessed May 13, 2014. http://archaeology.about.com/od/ancientdailylife/qt/fire_control.htm.