Using Chemicals as Weapons in War

There has been war since man has been on Earth. Over time, war tactics, weapon, armor, and even the soldier has changed. The main weapon that has changed the battlefield has been the use of chemicals to stun, immobilize, or cause death. Chemical warfare isn’t a new form of fighting; it has been around since 400 B.C., but even a powerful and versatile weapon has its disadvantages. Nature always finds a way to fight in a battle too. The threat of a chemical attack haunts every country today. The extreme tension in the Middle East leaves the United States crippled because of their supply of chemical weapons and nervous about what the future will hold. The advancements in chemistry has altered the war front since its introduction during ancient history until present conflicts, and it will continue to evolve become more of a threat in the future.
Chemistry has been used in war since ancient history. At this time, life and war were very simple. The battlefield looked different, had different rules, different weapons, and different armor. In the time of the Greek Spartans, the greatest warriors of the ancient world, they discovered that mixing copper and tin while melted created a compound metal that was very hard and easy to produce. This new metal was Bronze (Grossman). Fighting was usually fought with swords, bow and arrows, and any other weapon that would cause serious damage. After the discovery of Bronze, the Spartans found a way to burn Sulfur fumes to invoke eye irritation, vomiting, and a feeling of deliria (Grossman). Chemical warfare evolved even more after the birth of Jesus Christ. In 256 A.D., the Sasanian Persian Empire used toxic smoke against the Romans (Lussier). There were even more crude ways of spreading death; 134...

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...pons would be nuclear, chemical, and biological. One nuclear bomb can destroy over half the United States. After the blast, the area hit would be contaminated with radiation and other toxic material (Lussier). It is scary to think that this could be a possibility! The best thing the “Allies” can do is to destroy or steal the enemies “WOMD” (weapons of mass destruction).
Chemistry has played an intrigal role in warfare since ancient history until the present and will continue to impact wars in the future. The use of chemical warfare has evolved from mixing chemicals to form compounds useful in the creation of harder and stronger weapons to gaseous chemicals used to kill thousands of individuals. While it’s impossible to know the full extent of how chemicals will be used during war in the future, it’s obvious that the effects will be devastating to the entire world.