The cannon was likely a parallel development or evolution of the fire-lance, a 12th-century gunpowder weapon that combined a tube of gunpowder with a polearm weapon. The cannon may have possibly appeared in China as early as the 12th century, but did not see wider use in the region until the 13th century. Main article: Gunpowder artillery in the Song Dynasty Most modern cannons are similar to those used in the Second World War, including autocannons-with the exception of naval guns, which are now significantly smaller in caliber. In World War I, a considerable majority of all deaths were caused by cannons they were also used widely in World War II.

As rifling became more commonplace, the accuracy of the cannon was significantly improved, and they became deadlier than ever, especially to infantry. Cannons transformed naval warfare with its deadly firepower, allowing vessels to destroy each other from long range. New defensive fortifications such as bastions and star forts were designed specifically to better withstand artillery sieges. After the Middle Ages, most large cannons were abandoned in favor of greater numbers of lighter, more maneuverable field artillery. The cannon replaced prior siege weapons such as the trebuchet. During the Middle Ages, large and small cannons were developed for siege and field battles. Cannons were used for warfare by the late 13th century in the Yuan dynasty and spread throughout Eurasia in the 14th century. The result was a projectile weapon in the shape of a cylinder that fired projectiles using the explosive pressure of gunpowder. It was most likely developed in parallel or as an evolution of an earlier gunpowder weapon called the fire lance. The cannon first appeared in China sometime during the 12th and 13th centuries. The history of cannons spans several hundred years from the 12th century to modern times. Further information on the historical use of gunpowder in general: History of gunpowder

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