Qianlang Frankie Xun

Ms. Bertolo

English 4U

November 20, 2023

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

number is a terrifying proof of chemical weapon’s capabilities.

Finally, chemical weapons were banned in an international agreement signed by Canada

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

posession of chemical weapons (“The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) at a Glance”).

Canada proved its distinctive place in the world by being a signatory to the agreement and

contributed to the banning of this deadly weapon.

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

0191. Accessed 21 Nov. 2023.

“Dawn of Chemical Warfare.” CBCnews,

http://www.cbc.ca/history/EPISCONTENTSE1EP12CH1PA1LE.html. Accessed 21 Nov.

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.

Accessed 21 Nov. 2023.

“Poison Gas.” Canadian War Museum,

http://www.warmuseum.ca/firstworldwar/history/battles-and-fighting/weapons-on-land/p

oison-gas/. Accessed 22 Nov. 2023.

“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

ssion%20of%20chemical%20weapons. Accessed 22 Nov. 2023.