Fair Chance and not a Blunt Refusal
New Understandings on Nobel, France, and Ballistite in 1889
In: VulcanSearch for other papers by Yoel Bergman in
Current site
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Newly found documents demonstrate that Alfred Nobel’s 1887 patented smokeless Ballistite gunpowder was tested by the French Army in 1889, yielding unimpressive results. This and other technical reasons were the basis for final 1889 French rejection rather than political motives, as claimed by Nobel, repeated by an influential 1962 biography, and echoed on a current Nobel website. Nobel offered Ballistite to the French military in late 1887, but was refused by 1888 since the French smokeless poudre B of 1884 was already employed and Ballistite was considered erosive and unsafe to produce. However, letters from French officials (and the intervention of the French Minister of War) confirm that Ballistite was indeed tested by the French military in 1889. Ballistic results in the 8 mm Lebel rifle were unfavorable and this seems the final technical reason for the rejection, rather than French interests in promoting their supposedly inferior propellant. This case study highlights the question of balance between technical and social history of military technology. The latter, examining social factors often ignored in various past military technological histories, have shown to shape inventions. In this case, though, the author of the influential Nobel biography has missed the complex technical history of the issue, relying on the personal and political for explaining the decisions.
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Bergengren Erik . (1962). Alfred Nobel, the Man and His Work. Trans. by Blair Alan . London and New York: Nelson.
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Bergman Yoel . (2009). “Paul Vieille, Cordite and Ballistite.” icon: Journal of the International Committee for the History of Technology 15, pp. 45–53
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Bergman Yoel . (2011). “Alfred Nobel, Aniline and Diphenylamine”, icon: Journal of the International Committee for the History of Technology 17, pp. 57–67
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Bergman Yoel . (2014). “Nobel’s Russian Connection: Producing and Marketing Ballistite, 1889–1890.” Vulcan 2, pp. 41–62.
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Bret Patrice . (2002). “La guerre des laboratoires: Poincaré, Le Chatelier et la Commission scientifique d’étude des poudres de guerre (1907–1908).” Paper presented at the Colloque Henri Le Chatelier, Nancy, 15 April 2002.
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Challéat J. (1935). Histoire technique de l’artillerie de terre en France pendant un siècle (1816–1914). Tome second (1880–1914) . Paris: Imprimerie Nationale.
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Hacker Bart . (2008). “Introduction: Why the Social History of Military Technology.” icon: Journal of the International Committee for the History of Technology 14, pp. 1–2
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Lemmel Brigitta . (1998). “Alfred Nobel in Sevran.” Online at https://www.nobelprize.org/alfred_nobel/biographical/articles/sevran/; accessed 9 April 2017.
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Lindqvist Svante . (2001). “A tribute to the memory of Alfred Nobel: Inventor, entrepreneur and industrialist (1833–1896).” Trans. Vowles Bernard . Stockholm: Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (iva). Online at http://www.svantelindqvist.com/anobel_inventor.pdf; accessed 10 June 2016.
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Nobelprize.org. (2014). “Paul Barbe”. Online at http://www.nobelprize.org/alfred_nobel/biographical/articles/krummel/barbe.html; accessed 10 June 2016.
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Schuck H. , and Sohlman R. , (1929). The Life of Alfred Nobel. London: William Heinemann.
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Tavernier Paul . (1950). “Évolution historique des Poudres sans fumée” Mémorial des Poudres et Salpêtres 32, p. 245.
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Vieille Paul . (1893). “Étude sur le mode de combustion des matières explosives.” Mémorial des Poudres et Salpêtres 6, pp. 362–363.
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Fair Chance and not a Blunt Refusal
New Understandings on Nobel, France, and Ballistite in 1889
In: VulcanSearch for other papers by Yoel Bergman in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Newly found documents demonstrate that Alfred Nobel’s 1887 patented smokeless Ballistite gunpowder was tested by the French Army in 1889, yielding unimpressive results. This and other technical reasons were the basis for final 1889 French rejection rather than political motives, as claimed by Nobel, repeated by an influential 1962 biography, and echoed on a current Nobel website. Nobel offered Ballistite to the French military in late 1887, but was refused by 1888 since the French smokeless poudre B of 1884 was already employed and Ballistite was considered erosive and unsafe to produce. However, letters from French officials (and the intervention of the French Minister of War) confirm that Ballistite was indeed tested by the French military in 1889. Ballistic results in the 8 mm Lebel rifle were unfavorable and this seems the final technical reason for the rejection, rather than French interests in promoting their supposedly inferior propellant. This case study highlights the question of balance between technical and social history of military technology. The latter, examining social factors often ignored in various past military technological histories, have shown to shape inventions. In this case, though, the author of the influential Nobel biography has missed the complex technical history of the issue, relying on the personal and political for explaining the decisions.
| All Time | Past Year | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 234 | 87 | 3 |
| Full Text Views | 313 | 1 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 120 | 1 | 0 |