Mustard Gas Description

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The First World War caused a major shift in military stratagem. The last major conflict involving world powers was the Crimean War, which occurred nearly sixty years previously. Many of America’s high brass were trained on the battlefields of Cuba and the Philippines during the Spanish American War; a conflict where the United States was renowned for its elite cavalry unit the “Rough Riders”. New technologies, such as tanks and machine guns, were used on such a massive scale that the tried and true tactics such as infantry and cavalry charges sought nothing but setbacks and major casualties. The battlefield went from being a duel between honorable opponents to a brutal hell for millions of foot-soldiers in the trenches. Paranoia of the enemy and scenes of the bloated bodies of comrades killed by the enemy created a dim horror scape. However, the most feared enemy was something that could not be seen, merely known for its distinctive sweet, spicy scent: mustard gas.
In the early days of World War I, gas attacks were used sporadically with little efficiency, until April 1915, when German chemists discovered an efficient gas delivery system. Chlorine gas was unleashed on unwitting French forces. The surprise attack left most soldiers vulnerable to the whims of the gas. …show more content…

German forces launched nearly one-hundred-ninety tons of Mustard Gas into the battlefield of Ypres, Belgium, marking a new chapter in gas warfare. Previously, gas was used to gain tactical advantage or suppress enemy forces. Mustard gas was designed with more malicious intent. It was used in coordination with another gas known as “Blue Cross”. Blue cross was created with the intention of penetrating charcoal filters in gas masks. The chemical would then cause such severe irritation to the nose and throat, that soldiers would tear off their gas masks to cough or vomit. Subsequently, they would be exposed to the more caustic mustard

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