What is it?

Poison gas is a weapon that was used during World War 1. There were many different types of poisonous gases that were used such as Tear gas, Chlorine gas and Mustard gas. These gases had the ability to either disable or kill enemy forces.

When did it come out?

In October 1914, poison gas was used for the first time by the Germans. The attack failed though as the small canisters of tear gas that they used did not effect the Allied troops. Up until the 22 April 1915, the effectiveness of poisonous gases was not shown. On this day the Germans released Chlorine gas which covered four miles and killed two divisions of the French and Algerian army.

The purpose of poison gas

The purpose of poison gas was to disable or kill enemy forces. It gave armies an advantage as they were able to kill a large amount of the opposing army, without having to lose any of their own soldiers. The potency of poison gas became less as time went on as counter measures were invented, such as gas masks to protect troops, although some gases did have the ability to pierce through soldiers clothing and harm their skin.

The impact of poison gas

Poison gas killed over 90,000 soldiers during World War 1 and left many more disabled. It was one of the biggest fears for soldiers as it had the capacity to cause horrific deaths or leave them disabled. Poison gas was a major component of World War 1 as it had devastating effects.