Zeppelin’s were first created in Germany in the 1800s. During the first World War, and the subsequent war, they were used for surveillance, and to some degree for bombing raids.
However, they were extremely slow and due to the risk of being shot down by enemy planes, they had to remain at higher altitudes. Since they had to fly so high up, the bombing raids that they took part in were not always successful. It is hard to be accurate when you are guessing about where your target below is.
The Zeppelin was also extremely rigid, and could easily get away from the person who was flying the craft. At the time, they were popular for moving munitions and men across vast spaces. After the crash of the Hindenburg, the popularity of the Zeppelin was over as well. The hydrogen filled machines were better suited to observation, which is why you still see them used at some events today.
The aircraft of today can fly at much faster speeds, and also allows for easier adjustments to movement, and handling. The modern aircraft has a just a drop in the bucket of the changes to the modern crafts.
Technology has advanced leaps and bounds since the 1800s, and is still advancing even now. While the aircraft of today certainly benefit from technological advances, they have also gained from better maps, information, and exact speeds for winds and incoming storms.