The invention of dynamite and high explosives for artillery shells in 1867 marked a turning point in military technology, enabling more powerful and safer long-range weaponry. Alfred Nobel's development of dynamite allowed for greater explosive force while reducing the risks associated with handling volatile materials. This advancement changed the nature of warfare, leading to more destructive capabilities and influencing military strategies in subsequent conflicts.

The introduction of dynamite and high explosives for shells in 1867 intensified the destructive imagery found in modernist war literature, as seen in the works of poets like Ezra Pound and T.S. Eliot. Their poetry often grappled with the chaos and devastation of war, using explosive language to convey the horrors of conflict.