The Impacts of Chemical Warfare During World War I
The development and use of chemical weapons became widespread during World War I. This war was mainly caused by economic rivalry, ideological differences, and competition for colonization. World War 1 occurred between 1914 and 1918 with rivals being from either central powers or allied powers. Technology was not as advanced as it is now and chemical weapons were one of the major developments during the war. In fact, Everts (2017) notes that the use of chemical weapons during World War I changed the general perspective of war and power. The concept of mass destruction was redefined. This is because initially, chemical weapons were not widely used in war.
In 1915, Germany was able to carry out the first successful chemical attack that horrified the entire world. This was an occurrence a that had never been witnessed as it involved chemicals and toxic agents (Emery, 2018). Germans used chlorine gas which ruptured the French line, killing soldiers and wounding thousands others (Fitzgerald, 2008). This came as a shocker to the whole world and consequently shaped the war. To Germany, even though this had started as an experiment, it was a great success.
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The United States worked hard to get back at Germany with more powerful and advanced chemical weapons. Emery (2018) shows how chemical war gained popularity quickly when young American engineers embarked on developing chemical weapons for the war. They advanced their careers and tried to come up with the most modern weapons for mass destruction at the time. These young engineers, who turned into soldiers in a bid to make use of the chemicals they had produced, later came to be known as ‘Hellfire Boys’ (Emery, 2018). According to Emery (2018), World War I was definitely a chemical war.
Fitzgerald (2008) also notes that with the entry of Germany’s new tactic of using lethal chemical weapons, more countries followed suit. World War I became a war of intellectuals with major contributions from science experts. For example, Britain sought scientists from universities such as Oxford to invent gases that would be used in war. Besides, the United States worked with biology professionals in developing poisonous chemical weapons. This later led to the expansion of data and knowledge in the meteorology department which solved some of the climate issues.
The Chemical Warfare Service in the United States, which was largely forgotten and dysfunctional, began to play a major role in the war. This unit, along with the Bureau of Mines, started to research, analyze, and design weapons that would be stronger and deadlier in preparation for any attack (Emery, 2018). This shaped the research world and relating professions as there were massive recruitments of researchers and other experts across the globe. In the United States, the poisonous gas sector did not exist at all before World War I, but during the war, it became one of the most important sectors.
The allied powers also experienced success in conquering Germany. They capitalized on mass production of chemical weapons such as grenades and Everts (2017) argues that this would help end the war faster. Most wars would often lead to injuries such as cuts or death but Fitzgerald (2008) observes that the use of chemical weapons, especially poisonous gases, brought up a new set of health problems. For instance, the use of phosgene gas led to diseases and conditions such as heart failure, breathing problems, skin conditions, and among others.
These unique problems further led to research giving rise to specialists and experts in the chemistry, biology, physiology, dermatology and other health science fields. Fitzgerald (2008) further notes that a branch was developed to deal with gas effects. This development entailed experts to deal with emergencies, wars, emergency services like ambulances and equipment, and specialized officers such as surgeons.
The World War I greatly shaped the international law. By the end of the war, most countries, such as the United Kingdom and the United States, had begun researching about chemical weapons. Treaties such as the Geneva Protocol and Chemical Weapons Convention had been ratified and continue governing modern conflicts and use of chemical weapons (Everts, 2017).
The European superpowers also became concerned about the future of chemical weapons and held meetings to ensure that the development and use of chemical weapons were stopped (Fitzgerald, 2008). Emery (2018) also notes that the chemical war changed the war territory and tactics from a war of arms to a chemists’ war. The war gained a lot of publicity and developed anger across the world in a way that had never been seen before.
Even though the belligerents experienced success in ruining each other through mass deaths, other issues emerged. For example, presently, the world faces serious cases of climate disruptions such as destruction of the ozone layer which has led to ailments such as cancer due to the presence of poisonous gases.
- Emery, T. (2018). Hellfire Boys: The birth of the U.S. chemical warfare service and the race for the world’s deadliest weapons. Little, Brown.
- Everts, S. (2017). When chemicals became weapons of war. Retrieved from
https://chemicalweapons.cenmag.org/when-chemicals-became-weapons-of-war/ - Fitzgerald, G. (2008). Chemical warfare and medical response during World War I. American
Journal of Public Health. 98 (4), 611-625. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2007.11930
