The Use of Chemical Agents in World War I

THE USE OF CHEMICAL AGENTS IN WORLD WAR I

History has proven the use of chemical weapons ranging back for decades. From the Greeks in ancient Europe using Greek fire to South American tribes using a form of tear gas made of grounded up hot chili peppers to scare away enemy tribes. As well as dipping the tips of spear heads with a poisonous toxin. Poisonous toxins used from live reptiles like frogs and venom from the snakes found from whichever region had enough potency venom to exterminate. The past has proven, that in order for Armies to survive and win, it relied on out smarting the enemy. New technologies and the evolution of weaponry were left to the brightest minds from those eras to develop.

As we move into the Twentieth Century the similarities are almost identical. The First World War has shaped not only modern warfare but even produced global attention to the brutal and inhumane death toll of the war. As stated in the Geneva Protocol, which prohibited the use of chemical weapons in warfare, which was signed in 1925? While this was a welcomed step, the Protocol had a number of significant short comings, including the fact that it did not prohibit the development, production or stockpiling of chemical weapons.

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 need to i...

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...usion World War one introduced new combat tactics with trench warfare

and the employment of chemical weapons. With Americas entry in to the war, leaders

failed to prepare them self’s by not studying German gas tactics and the employment of

their doctrine. America did not ignore the fact that Gas warfare proved to be inhumane

but will not stand to be unprepared, the threat was real for the nation’s civilians.

Banning the use of Chemicals in warfare was a great step towards the right direction.

Reference page

A “Geneva Protocol. (1925). Geneva, France: Government of the French Republic.

B”Heller, C.E (1984). Leavenworth papers No 10. Chemical warfare in world war I. Combat studies institute”.

C” CDC | Facts about Sulfur Mustard. (2013, May 2). Retrieved May 20, 2014, from http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/sulfurmustard/basics/facts.asp