Weapons That Changed History — The Submachine Gun Revolution | Firepower Goes Portable

Weapons That Changed History — Episode 5: The Submachine Gun Revolution

From the trenches of World War I to modern counter-terror units, the submachine gun transformed how wars were fought at close range.
This episode traces the rise of portable automatic firepower — from the MP18 and Thompson to the Sten, Uzi, MP5, and P90 — and explains how these weapons reshaped urban combat, special forces doctrine, and modern close-quarters warfare.

A cinematic historical retelling with maps, ambient soundscapes, and tactical analysis.

Chapters:
00:00 Act 1 — Introduction — “A new kind of firepower enters the battlefield.”
03:20 Act 2 — Stormtroopers & the MP18 — “Born in the trenches of World War I.”
04:47 Act 3 — Thompson & the Gangster Era — “From battlefields to back alleys.”
08:00 Act 4 — The Sten Gun — “Cheap, simple, and built under siege.”
09:30 Act 5 — Uzi — “A new era of compact power.”
12:24 Act 6 — MP5 — “The precision SMG that rewrote global police doctrine.”
13:59 Act 7 — P90 & the PDW Concept — “A radical answer to modern threats.”
15:19 Act 8 — Special Forces & the Modern CQB Doctrine — “Speed, violence, precision.”
16:29 Act 9 — Legacy — “From trench raiders to counter-terror raids.”

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