History of chemical warfare

Overview of the history of chemical warfare

Introduction

The Art of War in Tangut script

The history of chemical warfare traces the development and use of chemical agents as weapons throughout human history. Chemical warfare involves the use of toxic chemical substances to incapacitate, harm, or kill enemy combatants. This form of warfare has evolved significantly over the centuries, from the use of primitive poisons to sophisticated chemical agents.

Ancient and Medieval Use

The use of chemical weapons can be traced back to ancient times. The earliest recorded use of chemical warfare was in 600 BC, when the Athenian military used sulfur fumes against their enemies. The Art of War, an ancient Chinese military treatise, also mentions the use of fire and smoke as weapons.

During the Middle Ages, various forms of chemical warfare were employed. In 1456, the city of Belgrade was defended using a form of "Greek fire," a flammable liquid that could not be extinguished with water. The defenders used this incendiary weapon to repel the Ottoman forces.

Early Modern Period

Portrait of Christoph Bernhardt von Galen, Bishop of Münster

In the early modern period, the use of chemical weapons became more sophisticated. During the Thirty Years' War, Christoph Bernhard von Galen, the Bishop of Münster, used incendiary devices that released toxic fumes to besiege the city of Groningen.

19th Century Developments

The 19th century saw significant advancements in chemistry, leading to the development of more potent chemical weapons. In 1854, Lyon Playfair proposed the use of chemical shells filled with cacodyl cyanide during the Crimean War, although this proposal was not implemented.

Lyon Playfair

The Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907 attempted to prohibit the use of "poison or poisoned weapons," but these agreements were not universally adhered to.

World War I

The first large-scale use of chemical weapons occurred during World War I. The German army used chlorine gas against Allied forces at the Second Battle of Ypres in 1915. This marked the beginning of a new era in warfare, as both sides developed and deployed various chemical agents, including phosgene and mustard gas.

British 55th Division gas casualties, 10 April 1918

The use of chemical weapons during World War I resulted in over a million casualties and approximately 90,000 deaths. The psychological impact of chemical warfare was profound, leading to widespread fear and the development of protective measures such as gas masks.

Interwar Period

After World War I, the use of chemical weapons was widely condemned. The Geneva Protocol of 1925 prohibited the use of chemical and biological weapons in warfare, although it did not ban their production or stockpiling.

World War II

During World War II, chemical weapons were not used on the battlefield, although both the Axis and Allied powers maintained large stockpiles. The fear of mutual retaliation and the development of more effective conventional weapons likely deterred their use.

Post-World War II and Cold War

The Cold War era saw the continued development and stockpiling of chemical weapons by major powers. The Chemical Weapons Convention of 1993, which came into force in 1997, aimed to eliminate chemical weapons globally. It prohibits the development, production, acquisition, stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons.

Modern Era

Despite international efforts to eliminate chemical weapons, their use has persisted in conflicts such as the Iran-Iraq War and the Syrian Civil War. The international community continues to work towards the complete eradication of chemical weapons.

Related pages

• Biological warfare
• Geneva Protocol
• Chemical Weapons Convention