Machine guns played a significant role in the 19th century Western imperialism by enabling European powers to conquer and control foreign territories in Africa and Asia. In their book "Guns for the Sultan: Military Power and the Weapons Industry in the Ottoman Empire," Andrade, Misa, and Pacey explain that the introduction of the Maxim machine gun in the late 19th century revolutionized warfare and gave European powers a significant military advantage over their opponents.
Before the machine gun, battles were typically fought with a combination of rifles, artillery, and cavalry. However, the machine gun changed the nature of warfare by providing a rapid-fire weapon that could mow down enemy troops with deadly accuracy. This gave European armies a decisive advantage over local forces in Africa and Asia, who were often equipped with outdated weaponry and tactics.
The machine gun was also instrumental in allowing European powers to control vast territories and maintain their dominance over local populations. The overwhelming firepower of the machine gun enabled relatively small numbers of European troops to control large populations of local people, who were often armed with only primitive weapons. This, in turn, allowed European powers to establish colonies, exploit natural resources, and extract wealth from these territories.
In short, the machine gun played a critical role in enabling European powers to extend their empires and dominate foreign territories during the period of 19th century Western imperialism.