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Chemical Warfare In Ww1

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Chemical Warfare was used on a mass level for the first time in World War 1. The resulting consequences of using Chemical Warfare on a mass level exposed soldiers to adverse health effects that ranged from skin irritation to death which made the need for new medical treatments to be developed. During World War 1 beginning from July 28, 1914 until November 11, 1918 all nations involved with the conflict had used chemical weapons on their enemies. In World War 1 there was 3 different types of chemical agents used Lachrymators which causes the eyes to tear, Suffocative which causes sneezing, vomiting, and coughing, and thirdly Vesicants which blister the skins and produces lesions. The effects of these weapons had ranged from burns, damaged mucous membranes, temporary blindness, violent sneezing, fatally effecting heart activity, upset digestive functions and preventing the blood from …show more content…

With such a wide range of effects medical personnel had to develop new techniques to treat chemical exposures. With chemical warfare on the rise a method to treat the effects of the chemical agents is to take prophylactic measures that could prevent or decrease the effectiveness of the chemicals. The first documented chemical attacks of World War 1 in began in 1914 with the French using Tear gas grenades. Afterwards the British began to develop non lethal chemical weapons as a method to harass the enemy soldiers. The Germans saw the potential of chemical weapons and it was the Germans who began working on lethal forms of chemical weapons, the chlorine gas weapon, which was chlorine placed into specially designed cylinder that the German Army to used to discharge a dense cloud of Chlorine which would settle into enemy trenches. It was this development of chlorine weapon and the horror’s it produced that prompted the British and the French to develop protection against the chemical weapons. Once the British was able to

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The first world war is known to be one of the harshest wars in history for many reasons. One of those reasons is the unleashing of terrifying new weapons, gas weapons. Dangerous chemicals and gases have been used as weapons since thousands of years ago, though it was until World War 1 where the first large-scale of them was used. Battles normally ended in a draw, which prompted finding new fighting strategies. Four main kinds of gases were used; tear, chlorine, phosgene, and mustard (I, n.d.).

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In World War One in the trenches, gas was introduced and made the warfare much more brutal. The treatment after getting poison gas was terrible. They were thrown right back into the fight afterwards. Private Albert John Carpenter said “Gas shell came over, did not get my gas mask on quick enough. Sent to the field hospital.

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During World War 2, huge medical advances took place. The war naturally gave a push to the medical world to advance in medicines that would save many lives. They made treatments for soldiers who has had severe wounds. Those treatments fell under a new class of drugs called Sulfanilamide1, which provided effective treatments for bacterial diseases like pneumonia and meningitis. One of the safest and active antibacterial available, Penicillin, was a huge medical advancement that was invented during the war.

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The Germans wanted to remove the salient so they introduced a new weapon, chlorine gas. Description of the War: The Germans wanted to remove the Canadian soldiers by introducing a new weapon, poison chlorine gas. In this battle, it was the first time soldiers had used chlorine gas as a battlefield

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Chemical warfare was very dangerous and caused many deaths in WW1. There were three different types of gases used in battle mustard, chlorine, and tear gas which was the least deadly. Western nations had a treaty against poisonous weapons but the british broke the treaty when they deployed tear gas on german soldiers. Soon after German soldiers struck back with chlorine gas, which was very deadly if exposed to lungs or eyes. The french allies did not expect nor know how to prepare for a gas attacks.

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Machine guns were also first used, and Artillery, Ross Rifles, and tanks were greatly improved. Two very dangerous war weapons that go down in history were chlorine gas and shrapnel. Chlorine gas was deadly, and was first used by the Germans at Ypres, Belgium. It was unbearable, but, while some troops fled in panic, the Canadians held their ground by holding cloths with urine on them to their faces, despite the high casualties, and the independent reputation was never tarnished (Bercuson, David J, and J. L. Granatstein). One Canadian man by the name of Norman Ross fought at Ypres.

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This war used chemical weapons for the first time ever, which is how World War 1 made history. The chemical weapons included but is not limited to, consisted of: phosgene, tear gas, chlorarsines and mustard gas. They also used grenades, flame throwers, for the land war. For the sea war they used submarines, torpedoes, mines, and mine sweepers. November 11 is a very important date to certain people but to others in today’s society that is just an ordinary day to them.

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Poison gases would be very affective only if the wind was blowing the right direction, if wind was blowing wrong direction it would blow right back at them and kill their men. Two prevent grenades from killing many men they would build trenches in zigzag formation so if enemies capture the trench they cannot shoot along it and kill even more people. (Franklin

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When soldiers didn't have their gas masks on, the enemy would through poisonous gas that could blind, burn, or kill them. The Germans decided to take it to a whole new level and create "U-boats," with torpedoes and guns to sink Allied ships. Cannons and rifles were modernized and deadlier in World War

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Machine guns and poisonous gas were two new weapons used heavily during the war, along with the use of trench warfare. The weapons were more deadly than in previous wars, which caused the medical technology to lag behind. The medical staff was inexperienced to the new injuries caused by the modern weapons and the clinic had inadequate amounts of supplies to properly treat patients. The lack of funds used to supply the medical equipment caused many soldiers to go untreated which either amplified their injuries or caused death. For example, Kemmerich would have had a higher chance of surviving his leg amputation if there were modern medical techniques and supplies available.

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Chemical weapons are weapons that are used to induce mass destruction to many victims leaving them in a state of agony often resulting in death. Gas masks are used to provide some protection for the chemicals. Next, the destruction of the chemical weapon was very vast as can be seen through the death and the environmental changes. Chemical weapons may be any toxic chemical that can cause death, injury, temporary incapacitation or sensory irritation through its chemical action. In Remarque’s

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Chemical warfare contributed to less than 1% of deaths in World War 1. Ottoman Empire introduced gas warfare to the Gallipoli battle in August 1915, but it wasn't effective. The Allies also attempted gas warfare later in September, but it had limited success. Overall, gas warfare failed and caused many casualties for both and was banned at the end of the

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As mentioned before, WWI was the first time Mustard gas was used in warfare. “The gas cleared large sections of soldiers from the front lines, who fled once exposed, and ultimately killed 5,000 opposing troops. Chlorine gas burns the throats of its victims and causes death by as­phyxiation, much like smoke kills people during a house fire” (Briggs). During the battle, mists and fumes were everywhere. Horses although were unaffected by this, and the German riders wore gas masks in order to breathe.

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For example, most of the gas used in the first British gas attack was blown back into the faces of the forces in September 1915 stated by the IWM museum, proving that soldiers needed to constantly prepare for chemical attacks because of how dangerous they were. They would make the war zone inhospitable and extremely fatal. Men would be affected and show symptoms of slight coughs but in the end, it would kill thousands of soldiers. Inhaling the Mustard gas was one worry that they all shared but chemical attacks were brutal. Starting in 1916, gas was used in shells instead, allowing attacks to be launched at far wider ranges, says Sarah Everts from the Science History Institution.

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The French were the first to use gas during the war. In August 1914, the French used grenades filled with tear gas to attack the Germans. In 1915, the Germans began to use chlorine. The first gas considered lethal. Mustard gas became a significant source of dread for soldiers as simple exposure to it could burn flesh and could also cause massive blisters.

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