War has been a driving factor in human existence since the dawn of time, it has always been with us. War has influenced science as well, it has forced the development of weapons, from the first bone clubs which let man rise to the top of the food chain, to the complex and highly destructive weapons of today. This century has seen the most development in the technology of warfare since the combination of sulfur, charcoal and saltpeter resulted in gunpowder. For the first time in history weapons of mass destruction have been developed and used in a limited fashion. Limited only due to the initial crudeness of the weapon and lack of effective delivery systems. This is now changing, as more and more nations develop them, it is now only a matter of time before they are used in a total warfare situation. Weapons of mass destruction have three categories; the oldest being biological weapons; followed by chemical weapons, which were first used in the beginning of the century; and the newest being nuclear weapons. More and more of the worlds nations have either already developed or are capable of developing weapons of mass destruction, and with the fall of the Soviet Union the threat of theft of these weapons has increased exponentially. One factor that has always hampered the use of weapons of mass destruction is the lack of availability of effective delivery systems for them, in recent years such systems have dramatically improved in range, accuracy, and efficiency. The future will not be limited to the current weapons of mass destruction, as more are added the threat of their widespread use increases as well. Weapons of mass destruction are generally known to be any weapon who's destructive capabilities are far greater than conventional explosives or firearms. Since their power is vastly superior than conventional weapons, and their method of achieving their power often different than conventional weapons, the manner in which they are delivered to the target area must also be different than conventional weapons. The first recorded use a chemical weapon in a war was in 600 BC. When Solon, the legislator of the Athenians, contaminated the River Pleisthenes with hellebores (skunk cabbage) to give the defenders of Kirrha violent diarrhea leading to their defeat (Nicholas). Chemical weapon use peaked during the first World War, when mustard gas was a devastatingly effective battlefield weapon being thrown into a targeted area with artillery shells and grenades.
Looking back at how the chemical weaponry expanded starting in the beginning of World War 1, it all began with Tear gas which was used by the French in August of 1914. Those techniques have been used in ancient times. Moving forward eight months in to the war the Germans have been giving great study in to the development of chemical weapons due to the first usage from the French and witnessed its great effectiveness and were the first to use it in a large scale.
The two chemical weapons that were used were: nerve agent and mustard gas. Nerve agent has two main classes that are Class G and Class V. Class V is more new, however less fatal. The specific nerve agent used by the Iraqis is Cyclosarin. Cyclosarin is an extremely toxic substance used as a chemical weapon, which is a member of Class G. Cyclosarin is the most dangerous gas out of both classes. It is known to have a sweet smell and is also flammable unlike other nerve gases. Mustard gas on the other hand is yellow and smells like garlic. Both gases cause death in minutes and have long lasting effects. These can include diseases and other horrible problems. Many of these diseases cannot be cured, for the cells have been damaged and cannot be repaired.
23 April 1915 British troops were attacked with chlorine gas, and Sir John French, the British Commander-in-Chief wanted retaliation with the same effects that was dealt to his troops, and he also wanted the means to defend his troop against these attacks, which lead to the establishment of Porton Down. 10 July 1915 the British used chlorine gas against the Germans, after the attacks the British realized that the chlorine delivery method was inconsistent, the gas had a small radius of cover, the chlorine had a smell so it could be detected early without inhaling a large amount, and the gas also didn’t stay on the ground very long, so further research went into the development of chemical weapons. The first experiment was done with hydrogen sulphide; the British tested the gas by placing rats in cages in trenches, and had mine workers with self contained breathing apparatus collect clouds of the gas in jars as the gas passed over them. The testing of hydrogen sulphide were successful, it showed that the gas had lethal concentration at 300 yards from the point of release. Hydrogen sulphide was short lived, it was discovered that it’s was too dangerously flammable, and it corrodes the cylinders that it’s stored in, it was also to light to stay near the ground after release, and possessed a distinctive smell at very low concentration which is an early warning to the enemy. At 05:50 AM 2...
The purpose of this essay is to deal with the fact that chemical warfare should be brought back to modern warfare strategies. As Warren Rudman said, “And they will tell you unequivocally that if we have a chemical or biological attack or a nuclear attack anywhere in this country, they are unprepared to deal with it today, and that is of high urgency.” Rudman’s words are true in what they say and that we should do everything to counter-act his statement. Biological weapons are a key to outstanding success in war and therefore, I strongly suggest that chemical warfare is an effective and producible weapon tactic that can be used on today’s battlefield.
The French were the first to start experimenting on chemical agents in 1912. They first used it on their people as riot control to capture criminals that who had robbed a bank. They used 26 millimeter grenades filled with chemical agents into the center of the group criminals they were attempting to apprehend. It was not said if it was effective but continued to look into using it for other means. However, the Germans at this time had not been interested in producing any kinds of chemical weapons.
Poison gas was perhaps the most feared weapon out of all. Created to overcome the long stalemate style of trench warfare, its purpose was to draw out soldiers hiding in the trenches. One side would throw the poison gas into the enemy trenches and they would either wait for their enemy to come out into open fire or perish in the trenches. The first poison gas used in battle was chlorine at the start of the Second Battle of Ypres on April 22, 1915 by the Germans. Shortly after, followed the phosgene. The effects of these gases were ghastly. Chlorine was the most deadly as "within seconds of inhaling its vapor, it destroys the victim's respiratory organs, bringing on choking attacks" (Duffy). Phosgene had similar effects, except the fact that the effects started kicking in after 48 hours of inhalation. In September 1917, the Germans introduced the mustard gas or Yperite which was contained in artillery shells against the Russians at Riga. Those exposed t...
Chemical warfare is the use of chemical agents to injure, incapacitate, or kill enemy combatants. First seen during World War I (WWI), the devastating effects of widespread chemical warfare were eventually deemed inhumane by an international consensus and chemical agents were subsequently banned from use. Still, despite the tendency of the modern warrior to overlook antiquated tactics, the threat of chemical agents in the theater of war cannot be entirely discounted by today's Soldier. By analyzing the application, evolution, and overall legacy of chemical weapons in the Great War we can work to minimize the danger they pose in current conflicts and those of the near future. For it is only by understanding the past that we can understand the present and shape tomorrow.
To begin, during World War one Germans first developed poisonous gas and brought them into war by 1915. Chlorine was the first gas brought into trench warfare as a grenade-like projectile. In the beginning of poisonous gas usage, soldiers didn’t know that the poisonous gas existed so the gas cloud unknowingly forming put soldiers into fear and would cause a few casualties. Soon after, France developed phosgene gases that is 18 times more powerful than chlorine gas. In the first appearance of phosgene gas, which was at Ypres, soldiers would get blinded. Germans further developed another gas, mustard gas. Mustard gas was the most brutal and more developed. It was produced in 75 or 105 shells rather than the regular grenade-like projectiles. Mustard gas caused painful blisters internally and externally, burns skin and more. The introduction to mustard gas brought the most disabled soldiers, deaths, terror and overall brought emotional and physical pain to those affected.
Poison gas, one of the most deadly of all the weapons used in this war. This weapon did not kill as many as some of the other weapons but it caused terrible suffering and did cause death sooner or later. The first gas to come about was chlorine, created by the Germans in the Battle of Ypres. Chlorine would destroy victims respiratory organs and cause breathing attacks, sometimes death. The allies were shocked at this new weapon and retaliated by creating Phosgene, even more deadly than mustard gas. Phosgene took down victims in less than 48 hours with excruciating pain. Gas sometimes backfired on the people controlling it so they would wear gas masks to cover their face from the deadly gas. The next gas created was the most deadly of them all, Mustard gas.
Mustard gas was not the only example of chemical weaponry used during World War I. The first example of this was the Germans use of a gas called phosgene in mid-1915, which caused drastic damage to the lungs (Mack 2). The Germans began using mustard gas in 1916 and soon both sides began to use poison gas as a weapon. At a lab at American University, which at its peak employed over 1,200 scientists specifically to create chemical weapons for the war, a new gas called Lewisite was developed. Lewisite poisoned its victims through the skin and rendered gas masks useless against it. During the war as many as 50 different gases were used by both sides (Mack 2). When the war e...
Machine guns and poison gas are two of the most well-known and notorious weapons of World War 1. Firing several hundred bullets per minute, machine guns were deadly weapons, especially when used against enemy troops. First used by the Germans during the war, it soon became a popular weapon choice for battle. Machine guns were heavy and had to be manned by multiple men. The machine gun was a popular defence as it allowed the enemy to be mown down as they crossed no man’s land. Poison Gas was also a new technology introduced in World War 1. Although gas was first introduced by the French, the gas that was used was tear gas which was more of an irritant rather than a poison. Poison gas was first used by the Germa...
Chemical weapons have been used throughout the world dating back to 430 BC, when they were used against the Spartans in the Peloponnesian War. Although they were not nearly as harmful as they are now, they still had devastating effects. Very little good has ever come from the use of chemical ...
The term weapon of mass destruction has been in existence since the 1930’s. Weapons of mass destruction can be better identified as nuclear weapons, biological weapons, chemical weapons, or radiological weapons. A true definition of weapons of mass destruction is “any destructive device; any weapon that is designed or intended to cause death or serious bodily injury through the release, dissemination, or impact of toxic or poisonous chemicals, or their precursors; any weapon involving a biological agent, toxin, or vector; any weapon that is designed to release radiation or radioactivity at a level dangerous to human life”. Weapons of mass destruction, also known as WMD’s, can be described as nuclear bombs, missiles, toxic chemicals, or hand grenades, artillery shells, and even ammunition often used in cannons. . These weapons of mass destruction are used in some countries on a daily basis. The sole purpose for using WMD’s should be for protection, however, if used by persons other than the military they can be used for nefarious reasons. This paper will identify reasons why the UK has joined forces with other organizations to stop the use of weapons of mass destruction, and their reasoning behind it. It will also illustrate why I believe that weapons of mass destruction are necessary for the protection of our people, our country. The United Kingdom has taken a stand and plans to stop the widespread use of weapons of mass destruction. The United Kingdom will need to use its weapons of mass destruction to save the lives of soldier’s during war. While the UK government has weapons of mass destruction, they do not believe in using them because they believe weapons of mass destruction raises serious humanitarian and security...
In the war this chemical was transported through artillery shells into the battle field where it lingered for an amount of time ranging from days to weeks or even sometimes months, it all was reflected on the weather conditions. Mustard gas wasn’t necessarily used as a forceful killing weapon but was morely used to pollute the battlefield and weaken the enemy. Victims of mustard gas began to experience a painful aching in their eyes, blisters and also proceeded to vomit. Many soldiers were secured to their beds because the whole process was exceedingly painful. This chemical caused a number of different symptoms, internal and external bleeding and attacking the bronchial tubes, stripping off the mucous membrane. Usually it took a person a course of four to five weeks before they died of the mustard gas poisoning. Mustard gas contributed to the event of chemical warfare becoming one of the major components in the war, which is one example of how this weapon changed the nature of the war. During the later on stages of war, gas usage increased majorly and the overall effectiveness decreased. The United Nations adopted the Chemical Weapons Convention in 1993 to exterminate the use of mustard gas and other chemical based weapons. I think that chemical weapons were banned because as long as they were continually being used as a large percentage, there would be a risk, especially if they fell into the wrong
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