Gas+Warfare

__Gas Warfare__

Gas warfare was introduced in world war one. It is now against the law stated by the Geneva Convention. Some countries still used poison gas in war, like Iraq, and North Korea.

The first time anyone used poison gas was in world war one. The French were first used poison gas against popular believe of Germany being first. The first poison gas used was tear gas deployed in 1914. After the France used poison gas on Germany, the Germans devolved there known poison gas. First the germans used sneezing gas on the France later using tear gas, and chlorine gas in the year 1915.

Chlorine gas was first used by the german in the second battle of Ypres on april 22 1915. It was deployed on the French, who didn’t know what it was and thought that it was just a cloud of smoke that masked a group of soldiers. Durning this battle ten thousand soldier were affected by the gas five thousand were killed and two thousand were talking as war prisoners.

Chlorine gas is relatively simple to make, mix ammonia with chlorine bleach and it makes chlorine gas. Chlorine gas is greenish-yellow, and at room temperature it is not combustible. Chlorine gas is heavier then air which makes it stay closer to the ground leaving soldiers more exposed to the gas. Chlorine gas is soluble in water because of a chemical react ending in hypochlorous acid which is a house hold cleaning chemical and is not very harmful to humans. Another gas used in world war one was mustard gas which was the most lethal of the poisonous. It was developed by Lommel and Steinkopf for the German army in 1916. Mustard gas was first used in September 1917 on the British which four thousand eighty-six soldiers died.

Mustard gas in its pure form is colorless and is a liquid at room temperature. When it is in its gas form it is a yellow-brown color and has an odor like a mustard plant which is why it's named mustard gas. Mustard gas is made from sulfur mustard. Mustard gas like chlorine gas is not combustible. Poison gas was the most fear weapon in world war one. This was not because it killed the most people, which it didn't, it was because if you didn't have a gas mask or a gas suit you couldn't find from it. Guns you could hind from like in a hole made from a bomb or any where else. If gas was used you couldn't because the gas would go in every hole and crevasse. Another reason why it was so fear is because again unlike the guns that could kill you intsently, gas could last for days or even weeks.

A famous letter written by Vera Brittain, who was a nurse durning world war one, said "I wish those people who talk about going on with this war whatever it costs could see the soldiers suffering from mustard gas poisoning. Great mustard-coloured blisters, blind eyes, all sticky and stuck together, always fighting for breath, with voices a mere whisper, saying that their throats are closing and they know they will choke."

Durning world war one ninety-one thousand one-hundred ninety-eight soldiers died from poison gas. One-million two-hundred forty thousand eight-hundred fifty-three (1,240,853) people were injured from poison gas in world war one. [] [] [] [] [] [] [] http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2008/04/dayintech_0422  http://blog.deborahblum.com/?p=388  http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/09/first-world-war-ypres-gas-germany http://www.firstworldwar.com/weaponry/gas.htm <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">http://www.hanscomfamily.com/2009/04/22/1915-1st-military-use-of-poison-gas-chlorine-by-germany-in-wwi/ <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">http://chestofbooks.com/animals/dogs/Intimate-Study/Work-Of-Dogs-In-The-War.html