Chemical Warfare

This was a warfare that used toxic properties of chemical substances to kill, injure or incapacitate an enemy.

Three substances were responsible for most injuries and deaths during the Great War:

1.  Chlorine gas: this provoked a greenish-yellow cloud that smells of bleach and immediately irritates the eyes, nose, lungs, and throat; and in high doses could kill by asphyxiation.
2. Phosgene: it was colorless, and soldiers did not at first know they had received a fatal dose. After a day or two, victims’ lungs would fill with fluid, and they would slowly suffocate in an agonizing death. This was the worst chemical weapon.
3. Mustard gas: it had a potent smell and provoked victim’s eyes become bloodshot, begin to water, and become increasingly painful, some of them suffering by blindness. And it could be worst: skin begins to blister, particularly in moist areas, such as the armpits and genitals. As the blisters pop, they often become infected. This gas could also contaminate land where it had been deployed.