Chemical Warfare During World War II

Chemical weapons in World War I included phosgene, tear gas, chlor arsines and mustard gas. A secret report by Lt Colonel C. G. Douglas, on the physiological effects of chemical weapons, stated that "the particular value of the poison mustard gas is to be found in its remarkable casualty producing power as opposed to its killing power". The report said that 1% of British troops died due to chemical weapons, while an estimated 181,000 soldiers were victims of gas casualties.Chemical weapons were easily attained, and cheap. Gas was especially effective against troops in trenches and bunkers that protected them from other weapons. Studies show that over 1,300,000 people were exposed and intoxicated by gas during the First World War, and 90,000 were killed due to

Chemical warfare, while horrible, proved to be unwieldy and unpredictable, and relatively easy to counter. After some limited successes against unprepared opponents, the use of chemical gas had very little tactical benefit; the recognition of this limited utility is that after widespread use in 1915 - except for the short-lived effects of the introduction of mustard gas in 1917 - gas was abandoned by both sides as an effective tactic.

Blistering Agents, like mustard gas, were seen as the most dreadful of all chemical weapons in World War I. Unlike the other gases which attacked the respiratory system, this gas acts on any exposed, moist skin, which makes it extremely dangerous. This includes, but is not limited to, the eyes, lungs, armpits and groin. Obviously, a gas mask that covered one’s face could offer very little to no protection whatsoever. The oily reacting agent would produce large burn-like blisters wherever it came in contact with skin. It also had a way of hanging around in low areas for hours, even days, after being

Through industrialization, Germany had many advantages over France when it came to the production of mechanized weaponry. The soldier’s strategies now revolved around the improvement of technology as well as their ease of access to supplies. The need for technology throughout the war allowed for the manufacturing of lethal chemicals such as chlorine and mustard gas. France was the first to use this modern style of warfare, however, German scientists would soon give rise to new and improved chemical concoctions, which would lead to mass destruction of the allies. Through trial and error, the creation of these chemicals by the German forces leads to the manifestation of many defense mechanisms for the allies; one of which were gas masks. These masks were to be worn over the mouth and nose and contained charcoal filters, which neutralized the acids in the chemicals. Midway through chapter 2 Baumer recounts his visit to a nearby hospital, in which “the gas patients…cough up their burnt lungs in clots”(Pg.68). As the amount of soldiers injured by chemical burns increased on both sides of enemy lines, the need for hospitals and staff also increased

Fire has been used in battle as far back as the Greeks in 7th century A.D, but the most devastating use of fire warfare was when Napalm used by the United States in World War two against the Japanese and again in the Vietnam War. Flame throwers were used in World War One, but the problem was that it burned too quick because of the gasoline mixture that was used to produce the flame. In 1942 a team of Harvard researchers that was led by Dr. Louis Fieser discovered that a mixture of rubber with the gasoline made a flame that burned longer, but rubber was would have to be replaced by aluminum soap powder because of the scarcity of rubber (Rohn “Napalm in Vietnam War”). This mixture would later be known as napalm and it was a modernization of war with devastating results.

Prior to 1915, variations of chemical warfare had been utilized by different warring factions throughout much of world history such as poisoned darts, bitumen, and sulfur. Some proved to be effective, but overall they did not have much of an impact in battle. The Second Battle of the Ypres in 1915 saw widespread use of chemical weapons for the first time. The destruction and chaos that it caused during this battle provided an incentive for its use and development throughout the rest of World War I by all sides of the conflict.

The gases used in World War I included mustard gas and chlorine gas. Chlorine showed its effects on the soldiers much quicker than mustard gas did. With mustard gas, after a while, one could see blisters forming on their body, and not soon after in their throat making it difficult to breathe (Briggs). Suffocation is one of the worse ways to die because one would suffer for longer. Poison gases’ inhumanity caused an antagonistic effect on the war because the only thing lethal gas has proven is that the only thing important in war is murder and not resolving issues.

There are Three chemicals that make the bombs in WWII. One of the Chemicals are Tabun. Nazis forced prisoners to make tubun. Tabun is a chemical that messes with the nerve system. This chemical is also used stun grenades. The chemical was supposed to be a pesticide. Tubun was also used in gas chambers. Another gas used in bombs and in gas chamber is Zyklon B. Chlorine gas was a popular gas in WWI and in WWII. The gas was greenish yellow. It irritates the ears, lungs, nose, and throat. This gas kills its enemies by asphyxiation. This means it cuts off the air flow and chokes them.

The German high command agreed to the plan and the first successful use of chemical weapons occurred in April 22, 1915 at Ypres Salient in Belgium. German troops released 168 tons of gas which traveled across the open field toward French and Algerian troops. Company roll calls claim that more than 5,000 died, though this number is likely elevated for propaganda purposes because many still held the belief that chemical warfare was immoral. The Germans attacked Canadians the next day though unfavorable wind conditions severely lessened the effect of the Chlorine (#Hutchinson, 2003). It is important to note that the Germans felt that this use of chemical weapons was not prohibited by law because they were not disseminated through use of

In all wars after and including World War I, on 9/11, and on many more instances the gas mask saved many lives. The first version of the gas mask was used to save a group of miners from a collapsing steel mine under Lake Erie. The first gas attack on January 31, 1915 caused a great demand for the gas masks. The gas mask sparked the beginning of chemical warfare because it was then safer to use dangerous chemicals. Over time the gas mask had many changes to it. It originally was not very safe, only consisting of a hood worn over the face and two tubes, one to breath in from and one to exhale from. The tube to inhale from reached all the way to the ground on the original model but as time went along, the gas mask began to become more compact.

World War I was made even worse by the work of industrial chemists. Soldiers from Ypres, Belgium would claim that a shimmering cloud appeared around their feet and a strange peppery smell in the air in 1917. This gave it its well-known name. Within a day, they have shown signs of severe itching that were caused by dreadful blisters and other wounds. Some stated to be coughing up body fluid. Near the end of the war, it instilled terror across the battlefield. Leaving up to 10,000 people dead and more injured. Mustard gas was created in 1822, but it wasn’t well-known as harmful till 1860.

The countries were not justified for their use of chemical weapons in World War I because of its mass destruction of humans and to the environment. Although it did help weaken the enemy, there were many other weapons that could have been used. The addition of chemical weapons only made it easier for more soldiers to be unreasonably killed in large numbers. Even if the soldiers did survive, they would develop cancers and many health problems. Because the wind can carry the remnants of the gases, it could travel back to the the area where it came from or possibly into civilian life. Either way, everyone was at risk of inhaling the gases, not just the enemy. Furthermore, the use of chemical weapons caused damage to the environment, contaminating

The pain could persist depending on the severity of the test and the injuries from days to months. In addition, the men subject to gas chamber tests tended to have extreme fear. The long term effects include cancer, asthma, emphysema, and eye problems, the most extreme cases causing blindness in one or both eyes. Though some continued to believe that other races were less susceptible to mustard gas related issues, the results from those tests were found to be

Fritz was born in Breslau, Germany on December 9th, 1868 into a Jewish family. Fritz studied chemistry from 1886 to 1891 at the university of Heidelberg. He was most famous for his research on ammonia. He was able to find out a way of acquiring it without having to extract it naturally. During WWI, Fritz worked with Germany on creating a toxic gas which was capable of killing thousands of people. That's exactly what ended up happening. Throughout WWI chemical warfare was being used to commit lots of murders. Since Fritz was the mastermind behind the chemical warfare, he became known as the “father of chemical warfare”. After Fritz’s toxic gas was a success, he got promoted to captain of the German army. Once the war ended, Fritz gained popularity

The beginning of chemical warfare started during World War I. World War I, also known as the First World War, began on July 28, 1914 and ended on November 11, 1918. During World War I, German troops engulfed Allied troops in chemical gases. This was the start of the widespread use of chemicals and soon other nations were joining in on the act of using chemicals as their