[War & Business] Maxim Machine Gun Reappears After 100 Years

In March, a Ukrainian soldier defending the Donbas region of Ukraine deploying the M1910 model of the Maxim machine gun, manufactured in 1910. [Image source= Ukrainian Army Twitter]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Among the photos released by the Ukrainian military showing the situation on the Donbas front, a machine gun used over 100 years ago has appeared, attracting worldwide attention. This machine gun is the so-called "Maxim machine gun," developed by British inventor Hiram Maxim in the late 19th century. This weapon, which one would expect to see only in war history museums around the world, is known to be a historic weapon that was also introduced to Korea during the late Joseon period.

The news that this over 100-year-old relic has become a core defense force in Donbas has shocked military experts worldwide. It means that the supply situation of weapons and ammunition has deteriorated so severely that even weapons lying dormant in museums are being used in actual combat. On the other hand, the fact that this weapon is effective against Russian forces symbolically shows that the Russian military is facing ammunition and supply shortages as severe as those of the Ukrainian forces.

In military history, the Maxim machine gun is evaluated as a weapon that made ammunition costs a significant burden on the overall war expenses. With the advent of machine guns, much more ammunition was consumed compared to the previously used single-shot muskets, making ammunition procurement a major logistical issue.

During the Russo-Japanese War in 1904, when the Maxim machine gun was first deployed on a large scale, it is known that both Russia and Japan nearly went bankrupt due to ammunition procurement costs. At the beginning of the war, the operational commands of both countries estimated daily ammunition consumption at around 20,000 rounds, but once battles began, millions of rounds were consumed, making it impossible to sustain financially. Until the early 19th century, when old muskets that could not fire in rapid succession were used, fewer than 10 rounds were used per battle, but with the introduction of machine guns capable of firing thousands of rounds per minute, ammunition shortages became severe.

Especially in the year-and-a-half-long Russo-Japanese War, Japan poured in a budget equivalent to 10 years' worth, winning the war but facing bankruptcy, narrowly avoiding it thanks to emergency funds from the United States and the United Kingdom. Russia also incurred massive debts to France to finance the war, which later became a spark for the communist revolution.

Today, with the emergence of various missiles, ammunition costs have grown to levels incomparable to those times. The Javelin anti-tank missile, which has become a main weapon for Ukraine, is considered relatively inexpensive, but costs $80,000 per unit, nearly 100 million Korean won. The approximately 1,200 precision-guided missiles and missiles Russia has fired at Ukraine are known to cost at least 1 billion Korean won each.

As the war has passed three months, the front lines between Ukraine and Russia have become stagnant and the number of battles has decreased, with these financial issues hidden behind it. Ultimately, to end the war, cutting off the funding for ammunition procurement has emerged as a prerequisite, leading to intense diplomatic battles outside Ukraine over strengthening sanctions against Russia. Literally, money is controlling the fate of a nation and tens of millions of lives.