Essay on Ethics and the Advancement of Military Technology

Chemical weapons have been used throughout history to gain tactical advantages over enemies in armed conflicts. There is evidence that civilizations up to thousands of years ago engaged in the poisoning of water supplies or the use of toxic smoke in sieges. More recently, with the rise of industrialization and formalized scientific study, chemicals were developed with the intention of using them in war. The development of chemical weapons was already of international concern in 1899, when a peace conference at The Hague resulted in a treaty prohibiting the use of “asphyxiating and deleterious gases.” The international ban on chemical weapons was disregarded in World War 1, with various chloride containing compounds being attached to grenades and artillery shells. While the immediate effects of exposure to many chemical weapons are severe, few chemical weapons have been used that cause a lasting environmental impact. Nerve agents, for instance, have the potential to leak into the environment, but low-dose exposure by civilians in areas isolated from combat is rare. One of the most widely used classes of chemical weapons is a set of herbicides nicknamed the “Rainbow Herbicides.” These herbicides have been shown to have caused widespread ecological damage, and the health effects of their use can still be measured today.

Chemical Warfare is defined as “Tactical warfare using incendiary mixtures, smokes, or irritant, burning or asphyxiating gases”. This is the usage of a chemical to harm the opposing side in order to get an advantage in the war at hand. Three of the main chemical weapons used during World War 1 were Lachrymator (tear), Chlorine and Phosgene, and Mustard gas. Chemical warfare was overall effective in World War 1 because it added to the weaponry needed to win the war.

Chemical weapons in the form of liquid were not the only type of chemicals used in the beginning of human history. The earliest recorded use of gas warfare in the West dates back to the 5th century BC, during the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta. Spartan forces besieging an Athenian city placed a lighted mixture of wood, pitch, and sulfur under the walls hoping that the noxious smoke would incapacitate the Athenians, so that they would not be able to resist the assault that followed. Sparta wasn't alone in its use of unconventional tactics during these wars: Solon of Athens is said to have used hellebore roots to poison the water in an aqueduct leading from the Pleistrus River around 590 BC during the siege of

The proliferation, or rapid increase in numbers, of nuclear weapons among states, has become an incredibly trying and pressing issue in our world today. Tensions between states that have nuclear capabilities are reaching all time highs and fingers are being pointed in every direction. However, the entire issue regarding nuclear proliferation begins with the United States. In 1945, World War II came to an abrupt halt when, on August 6th and August 9th, the U.S. dropped the first atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The bombs instantly killed 70,000 individuals, and an estimated 340,000 total died as a result of the fallout (2). As a result of the monumental power and destruction that the United States demonstrated, the world’s reaction was to try and implement a plan that would ban the use of nuclear weapons. The plan would have been regulated by international law, but, unfortunately, no deal could be reached. It had taken another 25 years before the Non-Proliferation Treaty was formed. At this point, five states already possessed nuclear weapons of even greater power and magnitude than the original atomic bombs. Today, America is still dealing with the “fallout” of the United States, a fateful decision to expose the world to weapons of mass destruction (4).

For several years many advances in technology and human living have come from necessity, and that necessity comes from periods of war. We have built tanks and guns and planes and bombs to increase our chances of winning battles, and sparing as many of our lives and destroying as many of their lives as possible. Through such advances came better car engines, faster transportation, better security and self-defense, and awareness of the dangers of weaponry. One product of the research for better weaponry lead to the nuclear bomb and one product from the research of

The rapid surrender and destruction of Japan was a clear indication that the US had managed to become a global leader in weapons development. However, there was also more reason to suspect the real reasons for the use of nuclear weapons in

Nuclear weapons have an effect on everyone in the world and even on the future generations. They affect everything from the soil to people’s genes. This research will make the reader more aware of a subject of a subject that is rarely talked about. America promotes non-proliferation but has more than 10 000 nuclear warheads in its arsenal. In addition, America is the only country to have ever used nuclear weapons; twice during WWII on Japan. This caused the death of hundreds of thousands with the effect of the bombs still being seen today. America has a huge influence over the weapons and nuclear industry and change must start from

It has been thought as a more “modern” and “intelligent” way of attacking your enemies in war. It began its journey in World War I, and ended in 1925...or so we thought. The known casualties started at approximately 100,000 people in World War I, and grew all the way up to over one million casualties, ever since the first world war. Chemical weapons are back, and they are deadlier than ever. There are numerous amount of chemical weapons as of 2015 and they are ultimately divided into their respective groups or agents. The four major agents include, but are not limited to, choking agents, blister agents, blood agents and nerve agents. In each of these agents, there are different chemical weapons that have different persistency (how long the

Sarin gas has been used as a weapon because it is considered a volatile dangerous never agent. It can quickly kill and or incapacitate people in a general area. It vapor is colorless and odorless, it liquid can be absorbed through the skin. This was one of many nerve agents developed by the Nazis during World War II to give them a fighting edge over their enemy. Chemical warfare contain irritants, asphyxiants, contaminants and poisons that were made as weapons, they can cause death, loss of performance and permanent injury to people animals and even plants.

These are just a few examples of many accounts of the use of chemical and biological agents in war.

A multi-dimensional theoretical framework must be established in order to comprehend the full idea of nuclear weapons, deterrence, and when deciding whether the use can be justified. Researching various perspectives can assist the ethical decision making process by educating the readers on the position of the Catholic Bishops and International Relations Theory. Trying to determine the ethics of nuclear weapons requires different lenses of theoretical framework such as a realist and liberalist view that can be subcategorized into offensive and defense strategic structures. On the foundation of numerous statements such as the Catholic Bishops and various resources of International Relations, this essay will analyze the ethics of possessing

Chemical weapons have been used since WW1, but are they still used today? Yes, despite all the regulations and bans made by The United Nations, chemicals are still weaponized and used. The definition given to a chemical weapon is, “any toxic chemical or its precursor that can cause death, injury, temporary incapacitation or sensory irritation through its chemical action.” After WW1, in 1925, the UN made the Geneva Protocol to prohibit the use of chemical weapons against any state which had signed the agreement. This protocol with its intentions to help the the world with banning the use of chemical weapons against other states did not ban them against using them against that state's people. Throughout the years more modifications have come to try and solve the problem of using chemical weapons, but there hasn’t been enough done. The accessibility to chemicals are easier than ever with tens of thousands of manufacturing plans in just the United States and Europe alone. From the past 100 years there have been horribly gruesome chemical weapons that have been made using things such as bleach and pesticides.

Chemical weapons have been used in warfare for years and years. From both world wars to more recent wars, chemical weapons have been developed and used. For the purpose of this writing, we will specifically be looking at the chemical weapons used in World War I and the Massacre at Halabja during the Iran/Iraq War of 1988. We will take a look at the weapons used in these wars, the number of casualties from these weapons and lessons learned. We will also discuss the potential use of these agents by terrorists and how emergency management officials can help a county or state prepare for this type of attack.

“If the Third World War is fought with nuclear weapons, the fourth will be fought with bows and arrows” Lord Mountbatten. This quotes, by a famous British Naval Officer, summarizes the threats nuclear weapons present to the entire world. With the development of the atomic bomb during the Second World War, a new war was started: the Cold War. The ideology behind this war continues on to this day and has led to many treaties and other attempts to stop the production and potential use of nuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons are a scientifically impressive feat; however, they present a difficult situation in terms of the global political system.

This number is three times larger than the entire United States budget for World War II (Schwartz 1). This number covers most, but not all, of the costs required to develop, produce, display, operate, support and control nuclear forces over the past fifty years. Anywhere from five-hundred billion to one trillion dollars could be added to this, to cover the remaining costs (Rosenberg 1). Nuclear weapons are estimated to have used between one quarter and one third of all military spending since World War II (Schwartz 2). Today, Congress and the Administration are watching government spending, shrinking and eliminating programs and taking other measures to reduce the deficit. Despite this, the central feature of national security spending for the past fifty years, nuclear weapons, has been barely touched. The United States spends at least thirty-three billion dollars a year on nuclear weapons and their related activities (Schwartz 3). Although, about eight billion dollars is being spent on waste management, environmental remediation, dismantlement and disposition activities, most of it goes to maintaining, improving and controlling the existing arsenal and toward the capability to produce new weapons (Schwartz 3).