Chemical Warfare in WW1

Chemicals that were utilized during World War I in Europe were effective because they allowed troops to effectively forward their position and gain ground during some decisive battles, including the second battle of Ypres, the battle of Verdun, the battle of Passchendaele, and the battle of Boulogne. However, chemicals did not greatly affect the war as a whole, and the amount of research put into developing them was probably not worth it because of their lack of long-term effectiveness.

The first use of poison gas was at the Second Battle of Ypres in 1915. The Germans let out chlorine gas early one morning. The gas was not deadly, but incapacitated those who breathed it in, and it spread quickly at about ground level (Irwin, Will). The wind blew it across the battlefield to the French, British, and Canadian troops. There were heavy casualties, and the French troops fled. The Canadians receiving a lighter dose stayed, but on their side was a gap of about four miles wide. A second gas attack was then released and it was followed by German troops. The French troops retreated. After a third gas attack once again followed by German soldiers, the British held their ground due to gas masks issued to them after the first few attacks. The Germans did gain some ground toward Ypres, but it was a very minimal gain (Hayes).

Another important battle where gas was a large part was Verdun. In February of 1916, the Germans launched a huge attack on the fortress of Verdun, using tear gas. The battle moved forward toward Fort Douaumont, where there was no account of gas being used. After the fall of Fort Douaumont, the Germans pushed on past the one road out of Bar-le-Duc to Fort Vaux. Here they unleashed for the first time the deadly phosgene gas. The gas was very effective, yet still the French held them back from their main goal, Fort Souville (Hayes).

Another battle where gas was a factor was the battle at the Passchendaele Bridge, following the Third Battle of Ypres. British General Haig believed that by pushing the Germans back, he could make the British line more easily defended during the winter (Hayes). The weather was cold and wet, and the mustard gas used by the Germans had settled on the ground, yet still retained its potency. The British did not gain much ground until the Canadian Corps came to reinforce. The gas aided the German defense against the British, but it did not hold back reinforcements.

A final example is the battle of Boulogne. It happened shortly after the second battle of Ypres. The Germans released a gas that was greenish gray, and floated over to enemy lines. They also fired ammunition with gas in them and lit chemicals on fire. The French dropped back, but the Canadians stayed once again. Although the gas caused major casualties, it did not greatly affect the war as a whole.

Despite attempts to effectively use chemicals to change the war, they only really affected minor battles. These battles did not usually affect the war in general, except cause fear of a gas attack. In general, chemicals did were important in certain battles, but they were not major parts of the outcome of the war.