Use Of Chemical Weapons In Warfare example essay topic

Geoff Hanson Chemical Warfare Chemical warfare is an extremely dangerous form of warfare. An inquisitive scientist accidentally stumbled upon the engineering of nerve gas agents in the '30's by the name of Gerhard Schrader. He was working on a solution to be rid of Germany's troublesome insect problem when he stumbled onto a solution for a larger problem in his eyes... humans. Two years later, he discovered an even more potent gas known as Sarin.

Although instances of what might be styled as chemical weapons date to ancient times, much of the known chemical weapons of today originated during World War I. During that conflict "gas" was used effectively on numerous occasions by both sides to alter the outcome of battles. The Geneva Protocol, prohibiting use of chemical weapons in warfare, was signed in 1925. Several nations, the United States included, signed with a reservation forswearing only the first use of the weapons and reserved the right to retaliate in liking manner if chemical weapons were used against them. The Allies nor the Axis never deliberately used chemical weapons during World War II, despite the accumulation of enormous stockpiles by both sides. With World War II less than a decade away, the Germans now possessed an extremely efficient killer.

Fortunately, Adolf Hitler, or anyone else, never used these chemicals during the war. The reason why he made this decision is still unknown to many people. The most popular explanation for Hitler's decision goes back to World War I where toxic gasses were used in combat. Hitler was harmed by chemical agents and was unwilling to introduce new and more toxic agents. There is also evidence that suggest that Hitler was advised against using the agents and even stopped their production. (Sithoway 162) The first chemical weapon used effectively in battle was chlorine gas, which burns and destroys lung tissue.

Chlorine is not an exotic chemical. Most municipal water systems use it today to kill bacteria. It is easy to manufacture from common table salt. (Seager 56) Modern chemical weapons tend to focus on agents with much greater killing power, meaning that it takes a lot less of the chemical to kill the same number of people. After the war, British chemist R. Ghosh discovered another, more indestructible agent known as VX. It had a more stable structure, which allowed it to live longer in the air and ground, killing more life.

VX agents are the most feared due to its ability to bypass the gas mask and be absorbed directly through the skin. Since VX's discovery in 1945, there have only been minor advancements in nerve gas agents. Most of the powerful countries began to stockpile their chemical weapons as if to say, "We are more powerful than you". There have only been two real incidents where nerve gas agents have been used. One of the events was the Iraq-Iran war that lasted from 1984-1988 when Iraq used modern chemicals against Iran. Another incident was when a Japanese Cult known as Aum Shinrikyo put multiple Sarin gas canister-bombs in a heavily populated Tokyo Subway in 1995.

Global security. org The unfortunate problem is that terrorists, and rogue nations like Iraq, don't pay attention to significant international treaties. That is where the threat of chemical and biological weapons used in random attacks on innocent civilian populations comes from. During the gulf war, the threat of Iraqi chemical and biological weapons felt very real, because it was known that Iraq had done extensive research on these weapons. In the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks, the threat feels very real again.

A chemical or biological weapon used in a large city would kill thousands of people. In response, the U.S. Marine Corp set up a division known as the Chemical-Biological Incidence Response Force, or CBI RF. This group has been trained to handle such an occurrence as the attack on the Japanese subway. The most feared chemicals today are Sarin, VX, Mustard Gas, and Lewisite. Nerve agents are generally colorless, odorless, and are readily absorbable through the lungs, eyes, skin and intestinal tract without producing any irritation.

They are even extremely potent, even a brief exposure can be fatal; death may occur within 1 to 10 minutes, or even 1 to 2 hours, depending on the concentration to which a victim has been exposed. The symptoms that you would develop and the order that they come in are near to extraordinary. First, your nose would begin to run, and then your chest would feel constricted. Your vision would dim as your pupils contracted into pinpoints. You would now begin to drool and sweat excessively.

Next to come, you would feel nauseous and vomit along with stomach cramps and uncontrollable urination and defecation. You'd twitch, jerk, and stagger as you " re overcome with convulsions and possibly coma. Finally, your breathing would stop as your diaphragm and the muscles in your chest froze, causing you to die of suffocation. Nerve gas is most often found in a liquid state rather than a gas. A nerve agent works in a strange way; it blocks an enzyme (acetylcholinesterase) that is necessary for functions of the central nervous system. No chemical agent is useful without an antidote.

The most common antidote is atropine. Atropine only blocks the overwhelming surge of senses and stimulation, so is mostly used in conjunction with other types of chemicals such as oximes. As you can see, nerve gas agents are one of the most dangerous works of chemical engineering ever crafted in the history of human race. It is inevitable that someday we will have to fight a chemical war; it will possibly be the deadliest war in the world's history.

Since terrorist have widely threaten to use it, whether the war will be between two countries or the act of a jihad will not be known until the time comes.