The History of Body Armor, From Medieval Times to Today
by Sam Bocetta
When writing about the history of military weapons and equipment, most people tend to focus on guns and ammunition. They point out that both small arms and artillery shells have grown more and more powerful with every passing decade.
What a lot of people forget to explain is the reason why bullets get more powerful. Since the invention of the first bullet-proof vests in the late 19th Century, every generation of soldier has worn increasingly sophisticated protection. There has been a true arms race, where every advance in body armor has required a more penetrating round to overcome it, before these more powerful rounds are again defeated by better body armor.
http://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/the-history-of-body-armor-from-medieval-times-to-today
