Explosives is an advance in Civilization: Call to Power.
Summary[]
The sixth Defensive War Advance, Explosives, heralds carnage in 20th century warfare. Giving Artillery to pound the enemy, and the Machine Gunner to annihilate enemy soldiers, Explosives drastically increase the firepower of a Civilization.
Great Library entry[]
Before Explosives, the firing rate and fire power of both rifles and artillery were hindered by the nature of their projectiles: black powder (which when fired created a conspicuous black cloud) and solid iron balls. Explosives revolutionized warfare with smokeless powder and TNT. TNT evolved from nitroglycerin, a highly unstable nitrate that in liquid form can explode merely when shaken. Scientists discovered nitroglycerin could be mixed with an absorbent material or "dope," and the combination could be formed and shaped, most commonly into dynamite, but also into explosive shells and land mines.