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Research Essay
Research Essay
Research Essay
Ms. Bertolo
English 4U
A Weapon of Death
War is filled with death and fear, the rumbles of heavy artillery, and the cries of the
soliders. Despite these atrocities, chemical warfare emerged on the battlefield as a transformative
force that intensified the horrors of war. The use of chemical warfare had a lethal and horrific
effect on the nature of the war due to its ability to silently kill soldiers in large numbers.
To begin with, poison gas emerged on the battlefield as a new and terrifying force that
caused countless deaths. Canadian soldiers went to war in the midst of a stalemate on the western
front. In February 1915, German troops and Allied forces were settled in trenches in Ypres,
Belgium. After a first battle with traditional artilleries and guns, Canadian soldiers faced the
horror of chemical weapons in the second battle of Ypres. Chlorine gas was released into the
trenches by the German soldiers on 22 April 1915. Though the trenches were used to hide from
the bullets on top of the ground, they were filled with deadly gases causing all the soldiers to
suffocate (“Dawn of Chemical Warfare”). The chlorine gas turned acidic when in contact with
the soldiers’ body moisture. “Men were blinded, their lung tissue destroyed. Many died in
agony” (Cook). The acid formed from the chlorine gas burned soldiers’ eyes and lungs causing
them great pain, yet they had no way of preventing their suffering as the gas permeated the air
they breath. This type of weapon was further developed later in the war: shells replaced gas
cylinders (“How Gas Became a Terror Weapon in the First World War”); and a more deadly gas,
mustard gas, replaced chlorine (Cook). In brief, the threat of chemical warfare became an
unavoidable force for the soldiers, and they had to rapidly find ways of protecting themselves
against it.
Next, due to the quick response and protection measures imposed by the Allied force,
chemical warfare did not give the German force a significant advantage during the war. Seeing
the horrific effects of poison gas, officers in the Allied forces quickly developed gas masks and
measures to protect themselves and their soldiers. They went through several design ilterations,
such as the “Hydro-Helmet”, and the P, PH and PHG Helmets (Cook). The most effective
method of protection is discovered to be charcoal filters, which was implemented in the final
design of gas mask, the Small Box Respirator (Cook). These protective masks greatly reduced
the effects of chemical warfare. Consequently, “Gas did not prove as decisive a weapon as was
anticipated [...]” (“How Gas Became a Terror Weapon in the First World War”). On the other
hand, due to poison’s versatile ability to travel through air and into soldiers’ repiratory system, it
became extremely efficient in the mass destruction of soldiers, and in total “There were
approximately one million gas casualties to all armies during the war” (“Poison Gas”). This
along many other nations because of its mass destruction capabilities. During and after the first
World War, nations prepared for chemical warfare as they feared that it would be used in cities.
Both Allied and Axis forces threatened to use gas during WWII, and Canada was involved in
manufacturing poison weapons and chemical masks. However, none was actually used as both
feared that their opposition possessed more lethal gasses (Cook). After the war, The Chemical
Weapons Convention was adopted on April 29, 1997, and this agreement outlawed the use and
In conclusion, chemical weapons changed the nature of war for many soldiersas people
were simply killed silently and in large quantities. The introduction of this weapon was a shock
for many nations, and they sought to develop anti-gas tools. The horrific capabilities of this
weapons was finally recognized after war with the banning of its use. As chemical warfare fade
into history, the scars it left on Canada and the world serve as a reminder of the enduring costs of
conflict.
Works Cited
Cook, Tim. “Canada and Gas Warfare.” The Canadian Encyclopedia, 5 Mar. 2019,
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/canada-and-gas-warfare#:~:text=By%2
2023.
“How Gas Became a Terror Weapon in the First World War.” Imperial War Museums,
http://www.iwm.org.uk/history/how-gas-became-a-terror-weapon-in-the-first-world-war.
http://www.warmuseum.ca/firstworldwar/history/battles-and-fighting/weapons-on-land/p
“The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) at a Glance.” Arms Control Association, Apr.
2020,
http://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/cwcglance#:~:text=The%20Chemical%20Weapon
s%20Convention%20(CWC)%20is%20a%20multilateral%20treaty%20that,the%20posse