World War One was a war of stalemates. The western front turned to trench warfare quickly after the failing of Germany's Schlieffen Plan and soldiers remained in the trenches for the rest of the war. However, WWI was a war stalemated technologically as well. An example of this technological stalemate is the gas warfare conducted during the war to try and break the immobility on the western front. In theory, a gas attack would be just the thing to make charging an enemy's trench more then just an easy slaughter. In practice, very little came of gas warfare in this respect. On the other hand, gas is remembered as one of the worst weapons to come to play during WWI.
[...] This is because mustard vapor is far denser than air and settles low into an oily liquid evaporating slowly without sunlight.[11] In addition to the impracticality of gas itself, the ways to guard against this special brand of warfare either were ineffective or slowed down the soldier. The first types of protection against gas were developed after the second battle of Ypres. This protection consisted of 100,000 wads of cotton pads dipped in a solution of bicarbonate of soda. Soldiers were also advised to hold a urine drenched cloth over their face during an emergency concerning chlorine gas. [...]
[...] Afterwards, the British discovered the impractical nature of gas as a weapon during the battle of Loos in 1915. There the British tried to release chlorine gas against the Germans only to have the wind change and have the gas settle into the no man's land between them and the enemy trenches. While chlorine was effective as a surprise, after its initial use it was too easily identified and protection was quickly developed against it. Unfortunately the Germans would not have the same kind of success with gas again on the western front as they did with as they did at the second battle of Ypres. [...]
[...] When the war ended, such a lingering sense of distaste at the use of gas warfare that is was made completely illegal in 1925.[12] There had been prohibitions for gas warfare outlined in the Hague Conference and many considered Germany's enthusiastic use of gas warfare during WWI to not only be inhumane but also to be in violation of these prohibitions. An Allied war correspondent present at the second battle of Ypres goes so far as to claim that Hague Conference has prevented the more civilized nations of Europe from going far with experiments in [gas warfare].”[13] An untrue statement (France, America, and especially Britain enthusiastically experimented with gas warfare) as well as a demonizing statement. [...]
[...] The first phosgene attack was conducted by Germany against British troops at Nieltje near Belgium on December tons of the gas was released from cylinders causing 1069 casualties and 69 deaths. The first phosgene attack was conducted by Germany against British troops at Nieltje near Belgium on December tons of the gas was released from cylinders causing 1069 casualties and 69 deaths. However, total casualties from chemical gas exposure occurred in 1.2 million troops and caused 100,000 deaths. Phosgene poisoning accounted for 80% of these cases.[7] This makes phosgene, by far, the most fatal of the gases employed during WWI. [...]
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