World War I: The Father Of Chemical Warfare

The World Wars were a great development process for the progressivism of countries. The Wars molded how countries interact together, their financial and economic status, and which countries have the most impact over the modern world. Because of the technological advancements during time of war, the world has changed significantly. While World War I and World War II both advanced in military technology, World War I did so through small advancements while World War II advanced with quicker and larger ways. Technology flourished largely through small advancements in World War I, quicker and larger in World War II, and to end the World Wars, technology progressed the greatest with the first atomic bomb. Through times of war came great innovation.

Haber, however, pushed for Chlorine gas to be used in combat. The gas was used with 5,730 cylinders which were set up on a road just north of Ypres in Belgium. At first, this looked unsuccessful, but soon the wind took the gas and it spread causing many effects of the other troops. Haber is now known as “The Father of Chemical Warfare”, (Riddle). However, as the war progressed, the soldiers were noticing the chlorine gas quicker and avoiding the effects by putting clothes over their noses and mouths. So, because of the chlorine gas failure, a new chemical weapon replaced the Chlorine gas: Phosgene gas. French scientists were one of the firsts to use Phosgene Gas. Phosgene gas is Carbonyl dichloride, which is a compound composed of the elements Carbon, Oxygen, and Chlorine. This gas affected the lungs and caused sneezing, coughing and vomiting. This gas was odorless and didn’t produce any cloud. It was a lot more dangerous than Chlorine Gas, since it was undetectable. Phosgene gas accounted for 80-85% of chemical weapon deaths during World War I, (Riddle). Chemical weaponry developed slowly, yet effectively throughout the course of World War I. Along with chemical weapons, small grenades, flamethrowers, and little household weapons played their part in the first ever world war. The

Flamethrowers were an abundant strategy. Flamethrowers installed fear in the potential victims which made the tool even more effective. The flamethrowers required two soldiers to set up: One man holds the pipe and another holds the liquid that will soon be used to ignite the flame. Usually, a Flamethrower attack was followed by a military advance, making the strategy very beneficial. Trench warfare also played a huge role in the fighting of World War I. Trench warfare is a strategy were both opponents fight in digged holes that are linked together, across from the opponent and shoot anyone who comes throughout no man's land (the middle field between the trenches). Because of the progression of guns and new warfare, this strategy was the