Informative Essay: Chemical Weapons Used In War

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The first occurrence of chemical weapons being used in war was in 1915. German military troops killed thousands of people with chlorine gas. Chemical weapons ordinarily fall under the “blister, nerve, choking, blood and riot-control agents” (Tristeam) categories. Some examples of chemical weapons include, but are not limited to, sarin, tear gas, chlorine, mustard gas, and hydrogen cyanide. Of course, like anything, these highly deadly weapons have both advantages and disadvantages when it comes to war.

One advantage to using them over the more conventional war weapons is that chemical weapons “can give an army a tactical, battlefield advantage” (MG Zimeta). Using these less conventional weapons have the possibility of giving the side utilizing them a significant advantage. Additionally, depending on the desired result, chemical weapons are advantageous simply because they are one of the deadliest weapons to exist. They are considered to be weapons of mass destruction since certain ones have the capability to kill thousands, but also because they can be used to incapacitate and terrorize people. Moreover, “chemical weapons are of great concern because they are cheaper and easier to manufacture and deliver than nuclear or biological weapons” (Helmenstine). Though these all make chemical weapons sound the best weapon option for war, there are some definite drawbacks. …show more content…

Furthermore, they are “indiscriminate and an inherent threat to civilian populations” (Wagstaff). Chemical weapons are also somewhat inhumane. It is true that some of them kill faster than other standard weapons, but they strike unexpectedly and cause innumerable, horrendous deaths to both soldiers and innocent

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