Such discussions soon became moot however as more dangerous toxins made their combat debuts. But since it was considered neither poison nor an asphyxiating substance, few were certain if its use even violated international law. The legality of tear gas was debated at the time. During the January, 1915 Battle of Bolimów, the Central Powers fired 18,000 shells containing concentrated doses of x ylyl bromide into the Russian lines. In these early incidents, the agents typically dispersed without effect. Two months later, the Kaiser’s troops responded in kind with sneezing gas at Neuve Chapelle. As early as August of 1914, French artillery bombarded German positions with it. Tear gas was the first chemical weapon used in World War One, making its appearance during the opening days of the fighting. Treatment: No treatment. Effects usually wear off within 24 hours. Produces a strong metallic taste.Įffects: Intense and immediate irritation to the mucous membranes, chest tightness, coughing, sneezing, runny nose, shortness of breath, and temporary incapacitation.
(Image source: WikiCommons) Tear Gasĭetection: A pale white cloud that gives off a faint smell of fly paper. Belgian troops with make-shift gas masks. Here’s a rundown of some of the most feared and hated toxins used in the Great War, along with their terrible effects on the human body. And each gas had its own uniquely horrifying characteristics. In all, more than 20 different chemical agents were weaponized during the four-year conflict. “Gas shock was as frequent as shell shock. “If someone yelled ‘Gas’, everyone in France would put on a mask,” wrote American combat veteran Harvey Allen in his 1934 wartime memoir Towards the Flame. Although this figure represented a small fraction of the war’s total 10 million military fatalities, the threat of chemical attack was terrifying for the soldiers in the trenches. By 1918, more than 1.2 million gas casualties had been recorded, with 90,000 of those victims killed. Soon, lethal agents like chlorine, phosgene and others were commonplace on the battlefield. OF ALL THE grim legacies of the First World War, none has achieved the infamy of poison gas.ĭespite prohibitions under the 1899 Hague Declaration Concerning Asphyxiating Gases and the 1907 Hague Convention of Land Warfare, both the Allies and Central Powers introduced chemical weapons early on in the conflict. “The use in war of asphyxiating, poisonous or other gases has been justly condemned by the general opinion of the civilized world.” Geneva Protocol, 1925 (Image source: WikiCommons) “I wish those people who talk about going on with this war whatever it costs could see the soldiers suffering from mustard gas poisoning.” Vera Brittain, First World War nurse
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