Early History – Prior to World War I
Before World War I, chemical and biological weapons were used sporadically. Although found to be highly effective, the complexity of today’s weapons was hardly understood. Most early warfare took the form of poisoning water supplies with the dead bodies of livestock. Also used were simple flamethrowers, or the use of petroleum-based liquids that could be ignited and tossed aboard rival ships or walled fortifications.
The most classic example is what has been called "Greek fire." Used by the Byzantines from around 660 – 1200 AD, this compound of unknown composition was a liquid which was able to burn in water, and was launched from special ships into the riggings, decks, and sails of opponents.
Other early warfare involved the use of simple smoke screens to obscure troop movements, or other attempts to spread disease to the enemy by hurling cadavers over castle walls during a siege. Most early "weapons" were primitive, yet effective.
During the years approaching the First Great War, the European powers agreed to "abstain from the use of asphyxiating or deleterious gases" in war. Although Germany signed this accord, Britain and the United States did not. The first recorded chemical attack was attempted by the French in August of 1914, but failed because the delivery system was inadequate. The soldiers in World War I experienced mostly chlorine and mustard gases attacks.
The Geneva Protocol, signed in 1925 by forty-four
countries, prohibited chemical and biological warfare. (This was
not ratified by the U.S. Senate.) Contrary to this agreement, Italy
later used mustard gas in their invasion of Ethiopia; Japan also used mustard
gas in its invasion of China. In 1936 and 1938, respectively, German researchers
discovered the highly debilitating nerve agents tabun and sarin; they were
originally intended as insecticides.
These deadly nerve toxins were never used in World
War II against troops.
Hitler's Minister of Production, Albert Speer,
said after the war, "All sensible army people turned gas warfare down as
being utterly insane, since, in view of America's superiority in the air,
it would not be long before it would bring the most terrible catastrophe
upon German cities."
Nuclear weapons, although not typically included
as "chemical weapons," also played a crucial role in bringing World War
II to a close. The Hiroshima
and Nagasaki
bombs, dropped on August 6 and 9, 1945, forced a Japanese surrender.
During the Holocaust,
Jews and other ethnic groups condemned by the Nazi party were placed in
concentration camps. Approximately 3,000,000 of them died from gassing,
malnutrition, disease, exposure, and brutality in the concentration camps
at Belzec, Sobibor, Treblinka Chelmno, Auschwitz-Birkenau, and Majdanek.
Vietnam War
The most infamous chemical weapon of the Vietnam
War was Agent Orange.
A 50/50 mixture of two herbicides: 2,4,-D (2,4, dichlorophenoxyacetic acid)
and 2,4,5-T (2,4,5 trichlorophenoxyacetic acid). Agent Orange was
used as a defoliant; its objective was to destroy covering vegetation and
deny the enemy these secured positions, and thus better protect American
troops.
However, the effect on American and allied troops,
as well as civilians exposed to the spraying of these herbicides,
is as yet unknown. Although termed non-toxic to humans these chemical
agents have been shown to have a LD50 (at given dose, 50% will be fatal)
of 100 mg/kg for dogs, and lesser for other smaller species.
The short-lived Desert Shield and Desert Storm
military operations brought the fear of chemical and biological weapons
back to the spotlight. According the Defense Science Board Task Force,
the troops were made aware of the possible use of Iraqi chemical and biological
weapons, and were thoroughly trained to face this very real threat.
However, post-war analysis confirmed that there were no biological weapons
in the forward deployments; furthermore, there was no strategic use of
chemical weapons, either. There were, however, reports of exposure
to chemical weapons by troops. "The most plausible potential source
of chemical exposure was damage to bunkers at An Nasiriyah, if these bunkers
contained chemical weapons." Other reports by the Czechs in the area
are regarded as "clouded" and "filled with inconsistencies."
There are other reports by veterans of a Gulf
War Syndrome, which is characterized by general malaise, immune system
disorders, respiratory problems, neurological problems and many undiagnosed
conditions.
