and Iraq. Chemical weapons warfare has long been outlawed, and yet they’ve been used

on numerous occasions throughout the 20th century. So, just how dangerous are chemical

weapons?

Well, chemical weapons are considered “Weapons of Mass Destruction,” alongside nuclear

and biological weaponry. There have been numerous international bans on their use, stemming

from 1899, when the Hague Convention prohibited using “poisonous arms” or “asphyxiating

gases.” In 1925 the Geneva Protocol further enacted a ban on both chemical and biological

agents, saying that they are “justly condemned by the general opinion of the civilized world".

The most comprehensive international ban was the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention, which

also prohibited production or stockpiling.

But despite these restrictions, the first modern use of chemical weapons was during

World War I. Lethal gases like phosgene caused severe irritation in the lungs, eyes, and

throat. Victims would often have difficulty breathing as their lungs would slowly fill

with fluid, killing them as long as 48 hours after exposure. In particular, chlorine would

react with water in the lungs, creating hydrochloric acid, and causing severe pain and death. Non-lethal

but still illegal chemicals were used as well, including tear and mustard gas. These would

cause blistering of the skin and internal chemical burns. Throughout World War One,

chemical weapons caused over 100,000 deaths, and affected more than a million people.

During the Second World War, chemicals were only used by Japan the Japanese against other

Asian countries. While the Nazis possessed gas weapons, but were afraid of a severe response

if deployed. The Allies also refused to use deadly gas, although at one point Winston

Churchill did propose dropping poison gas and anthrax over Germany.

After the war, the Allies discovered Germany’s stockpile of nerve agents. These are chemicals

which work by disrupting the nervous system, and lead to a loss of body control. They eventually

cause death by suffocation. Increased research into chemical weapons led to both the US and

the USSR developing and creating tens of thousands of tons to stockpile throughout the Cold War.

But the most infamous use of chemical weapons was during the Iran-Iraq War. In the 1980s,

Iraq received money and supplies from the United States and Germany to develop chemical

weapons. But in 1988, both mustard gas and nerve agents were used against a Kurdish civilian

village, leading to as many as 5,000 deaths and 10,000 injuries. The attack has since

been called an act of genocide, and was the single largest chemical attack against civilians

ever.

In the years since, the only use of chemical weapons has been by terrorist groups. Luckily,

the most recent ban has led to a 90% decline in the world’s stockpile. Still, chemical

weapons are especially dangerous due to their indiscriminate, long lasting, and painful

effects. In the wrong hands, they are considerably more terrifying than most conventional weapons.

But who is to blame for chemical weapons use in Syria and Iraq? Is it the U.S.? Find out

more in the Seeker Daily episode up top. And to learn more about just how we regulate the

use of chemical weapons in warfare, check out our video below. Thanks for joining us

on TestTube News! Remember to like and subscribe so you won’t miss our new episodes.