This article forms part of the series Chemical warfare
(A subset of Weapons of mass destruction)
Lethal agents
Blood agents
Cyanogen chloride (CK)
Hydrogen cyanide (AC)
Blister agents
Lewisite (L)
Sulfur mustard gas (HD, H, HT, HL, HQ)
Nitrogen mustard gas (HN1, HN2, HN3)
Nerve agents
G-Agents
Tabun (GA), Sarin (GB) Soman (GD), Cyclosarin (GF)
GV
V-Agents
VE, VG, VM, VX
Novichok agents
Pulmonary agents
Chlorine
Chloropicrin (PS)
Phosgene (CG)
Diphosgene (DP)
Incapacitating agents
Agent 15 (BZ)
Kolokol-1
Riot control agents
Pepper spray (OC)
CS gas
CN gas (mace)
CR gas This box: view • talk • edit

Chemical warfare involves using the toxic properties of chemical substances to kill, injure or incapacitate an enemy. A weapon of mass destruction ( WMD) is a weapon which can kill large numbers of humans and/or cause great damage to man-made structures (e A blood agent or cyanogen agent is a Chemical compound, carried by the blood for distribution through the body Cyanogen chloride is a Chemical compound with the formula CNCl Hydrogen cyanide is a Chemical compound with Chemical formula HCN A blister agent (also known as a vesicant) is a chemical compound that causes severe skin eye and mucosal pain and irritation Lewisite is a Chemical compound from a chemical family called Arsines While it is colorless and odorless when pure Lewisite is usually found as an oily yellow or The sulfur mustards, of which mustard gas ( Bis (2-chloroethyl sulfide is a member are a class of related Cytotoxic, Vesicant Chemical Nerve agents (also being referred to as nerve gases, though these chemicals are liquid at room temperature are a class of Phosphorus -containing organic chemicals Effects of overexposure The exact symptoms of overexposure are similar to those created by all Nerve agents Tabun like all nerve agents is toxic even in minute doses Sarin, also known by its NATO designation of GB, is an extremely toxic substance whose sole application is as a Nerve agent. Alternative names Soman is occasionally referred to by names other than soman or GD: Phosphonofluoridic acid methyl- 1 2 2-trimethylpropyl ester Chemical characteristics Like its predecessor sarin cyclosarin is a liquid Organophosphate nerve agent GV (P--NN-dimethylphosphonamidic fluoride is an Organophosphate Nerve agent. VE (S-(Diethylaminoethyl O-ethyl ethylphosphonothioate is a "V-series" Nerve agent closely related to the better-known VX nerve agent. VG (OO-Diethyl-S- phosphorothioate (also called Amiton or Tetram) is a "V-series" Nerve agent chemically similar to the better-known VM ( Edemo) is a "V-series" Nerve agent closely related to the better-known VX nerve agent. VX (S--O-ethyl methylphosphonothioate is an extremely toxic substance whose sole application is as a Nerve agent. Novichok (Russian новичок: "Newcomer" is a series of Nerve agents that were developed by the Soviet Union in the 1970s and 1980s and A pulmonary agent (or choking agent) is a Chemical weapon agent designed to impede a victim's ability to breathe. Chlorine (ˈklɔriːn from the Greek word 'χλωρóς' ( khlôros, meaning 'pale green' is the Chemical element with Atomic number 17 and Chloropicrin is a slightly oily colorless or faintly yellow liquid of the formula CCl3NO2 Phosgene is the Chemical compound with the formula COCl2 This colorless gas gained infamy as a Chemical weapon during World War I Diphosgene is a Chemical compound with the formula ClCO2CCl3 This colorless liquid is a valuable reagent in the synthesis of organic compounds The term incapacitating agent is defined by the US Department of Defense as "An agent that produces temporary Physiological or mental "QNB" redirects here For the spoof Amateur radio Q code, see QNB (amateur radio. KOLOKOL-1 (Russian Колокол, eng bell) is an opiate-derived Incapacitating agent. Riot control agents are Less-lethal Lachrymatory agents used for Riot control. Pepper spray (also known as OC spray (from " Oleoresin Capsicum " OC gas, capsicum spray, or oleoresin capsicum CS gas is the common name for 2-chlorobenzalmalononitrile (also called o-Chlorobenzylidene Malononitrile (chemical formula C10H5ClN2 Not to be confused with Hydrogen cyanide, HCN CN gas, or chloroacetophenone or phenacyl chloride, is a substance CR gas or dibenzoxazepine, chemically dibenz[14]oxazepine is an Incapacitating agent and a Lachrymatory agent. In the context of Biology, poisons are substances that can cause damage, Illness, or Death to Organisms usually by A chemical substance is a Material with a definite chemical composition. The term enemy combatant has historically referred to members of the armed forces of the state with which another state is at war

Chemical warfare is different from the use of conventional weapons or nuclear weapons because the destructive effects of chemical weapons are not primarily due to any explosive force. A conventional weapon is a Weapon that does not incorporate toxic chemical, biological or nuclear payloads A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from Nuclear reactions either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. An explosion is a sudden increase in Volume and release of Energy in an extreme manner usually with the generation of high Temperatures and the release The offensive use of living organisms (such as anthrax) is considered to be biological warfare rather than chemical warfare; the use of nonliving toxic products produced by living organisms (e. Anthrax is an acute Disease in humans and animals caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis which is highly lethal in some forms Biological warfare (BW — known as a germ warfare, biological weapons and bioweaponry — is the use of any Pathogen ( Bacterium g. , toxins such as botulinum toxin, ricin, or saxitoxin) is considered chemical warfare under the provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention. A toxin ( Greek:, toxikon, lit (poison for use on arrows is a Poisonous substance produced by living cells or organisms that is active at very low Botulinum toxin is a Neurotoxin Protein produced by the Bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Ricin (ˈraɪ sɨn is a Protein Toxin that is extracted from the castor bean ( Ricinus communis) Saxitoxin ( STX) is a neurotoxin naturally produced by certain species of marine Dinoflagellates ( Alexandrium sp The Chemical Weapons Convention ( CWC) is an Arms control agreement which outlaws the production stockpiling and use of chemical weapons Its full name is Under this Convention, any toxic chemical, regardless of its origin, is considered as a chemical weapon unless it is used for purposes that are not prohibited (an important legal definition, known as the General Purpose Criterion). ^[1]

About 70 different chemicals have been used or stockpiled as Chemical Warfare (CW) agents during the 20th century. In military preparation, 'to stockpile' is to move materiel personnel and command and control infrastructure to a suitable location in preparation for deployment or to move Chemical weapons are classified as weapons of mass destruction by the United Nations, and their production and stockpiling was outlawed by the Chemical Weapons Convention of 1993. A weapon of mass destruction ( WMD) is a weapon which can kill large numbers of humans and/or cause great damage to man-made structures (e The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security The Chemical Weapons Convention ( CWC) is an Arms control agreement which outlaws the production stockpiling and use of chemical weapons Its full name is Under the Convention, chemicals that are toxic enough to be used as chemical weapons, or may be used to manufacture such chemicals, are divided into three groups according to their purpose and treatment:

• Schedule 1 – Have few, if any, legitimate uses. Schedule 1 substances, in the sense of the Chemical Weapons Convention, are chemicals which can either be used as chemical weapons themselves or used in the manufacture of chemical These may only be produced or used for research, medical, pharmaceutical or protective purposes (i. e. testing of chemical weapons sensors and protective clothing). Examples include nerve agents, ricin, lewisite and mustard gas. Nerve agents (also being referred to as nerve gases, though these chemicals are liquid at room temperature are a class of Phosphorus -containing organic chemicals Ricin (ˈraɪ sɨn is a Protein Toxin that is extracted from the castor bean ( Ricinus communis) Lewisite is a Chemical compound from a chemical family called Arsines While it is colorless and odorless when pure Lewisite is usually found as an oily yellow or The sulfur mustards, of which mustard gas ( Bis (2-chloroethyl sulfide is a member are a class of related Cytotoxic, Vesicant Chemical Any production over 100 g must be notified to the OPCW and a country can have a stockpile of no more than one tonne of these chemicals. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW is an international agency located in The Hague, The Netherlands.
• Schedule 2 – Have no large-scale industrial uses, but may have legitimate small-scale uses. Schedule 2 substances, in the sense of the Chemical Weapons Convention, are chemicals which can either be used as chemical weapons themselves or used in the manufacture of chemical Examples include dimethyl methylphosphonate, a precursor to sarin but which is also used as a flame retardant and Thiodiglycol which is a precursor chemical used in the manufacture of mustard gas but is also widely used as a solvent in inks. Dimethyl methylphosphonate, or methylphosphonic acid dimethyl ester ( DMMP) is a colorless liquid with chemical formula 393 or CH3PO(OCH32 Sarin, also known by its NATO designation of GB, is an extremely toxic substance whose sole application is as a Nerve agent. Flame retardants are materials that inhibit or resist the spread of Fire. Thiodiglycol, or bis(2-hydroxyethylsulfide, is a viscous clear to pale-yellow liquid used as a solvent An ink is a Liquid containing various Pigments and/or Dyes used for coloring a surface to produce an Image, text, or
• Schedule 3 – Have legitimate large-scale industrial uses. Schedule 3 substances, in the sense of the Chemical Weapons Convention, are chemicals which can either be used as toxic chemical weapons themselves or used in the manufacture Examples include phosgene and chloropicrin. Phosgene is the Chemical compound with the formula COCl2 This colorless gas gained infamy as a Chemical weapon during World War I Chloropicrin is a slightly oily colorless or faintly yellow liquid of the formula CCl3NO2 Both have been used as chemical weapons but phosgene is an important precursor in the manufacture of plastics and chloropicrin is used as a fumigant. Any plant producing more than 30 tonnes per year must be notified to, and can be inspected by, the OPCW. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW is an international agency located in The Hague, The Netherlands.

Contents 1 Technology 1.1 Chemical warfare agents 1.1.1 Persistency 1.1.2 Classes 1.1.3 Designations 1.2 Delivery 2 Past Chemical Wars 2.1 Dispersion 2.2 Thermal dissemination 2.3 Aerodynamic dissemination 2.4 Protection against chemical warfare 3 Sociopolitical climate 3.1 Efforts to eradicate chemical weapons 3.2 Chemical weapon proliferation 4 History 4.1 Ancient to medieval times 4.2 Rediscovery 4.3 World War I 4.4 Interwar years 4.5 World War II 4.6 Cold War 4.6.1 Developments by the Western governments 4.6.2 United States Senate Report 4.6.3 Developments by the Soviet government 4.6.4 Iran-Iraq War 4.6.5 Falklands War 4.7 Terrorism 5 See also 6 Further reading 7 Notes 8 References 9 External links

Technology

Chemical warfare technology timeline

	Agents	Dissemination	Protection	Detection
1900s	Chlorine Chloropicrin Phosgene Mustard gas	Wind dispersal		Smell
1910s	Lewisite	Chemical shells	Gas mask Rosin oil clothing
1920s		Projectiles w/ central bursters	CC-2 clothing
1930s	G-series nerve agents	Aircraft bombs		Blister agent detectors Color change paper
1940s		Missile warheads Spray tanks	Protective ointment (mustard) Collective protection Gas mask w/ Whetlerite
1950s
1960s	V-series nerve agents	Aerodynamic	Gas mask w/ water supply	Nerve gas alarm
1970s
1980s		Binary munitions	Improved gas masks (protection, fit, comfort)	Laser detection
1990s	Novichok nerve agents

Although crude chemical warfare has been employed in many parts of the world for thousands of years, "modern" chemical warfare began during World War I (see main article - Poison gas in World War I). World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The use of poison gas in World War I was a major military innovation ^[2] Initially, only well-known commercially available chemicals and their variants were used. These included chlorine and phosgene gas. Chlorine (ˈklɔriːn from the Greek word 'χλωρóς' ( khlôros, meaning 'pale green' is the Chemical element with Atomic number 17 and Phosgene is the Chemical compound with the formula COCl2 This colorless gas gained infamy as a Chemical weapon during World War I The methods of dispersing these agents during battle were relatively unrefined and inefficient.

Germany, the first side to employ chemical warfare on the battlefield,^[3] simply opened canisters of chlorine upwind of the opposing side and let the prevailing winds do the dissemination. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Soon after, the French modified artillery munitions to contain phosgene – a much more effective method that became the principal means of delivery. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Artillery (from French artillerie) is a military Combat Arm which employs any apparātus machine Ammunition, often referred to as ammo, is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which ^[4]

Since the development of modern chemical warfare in World War I, nations have pursued research and development on chemical weapons that falls into four major categories: new and more deadly agents; more efficient methods of delivering agents to the target (dissemination); more reliable means of defense against chemical weapons; and more sensitive and accurate means of detecting chemical agents.

Chemical warfare agents

See also: List of chemical warfare agents

A chemical used in warfare is called a chemical warfare agent (CWA). A Chemical weapon agent (CWA is a Chemical substance whose toxic properties are used to kill injure or incapacitate About 70 different chemicals have been used or stockpiled as chemical warfare agents during the 20th century and the 21st century. These agents may be in liquid, gas or solid form. Liquid agents are generally designed to evaporate quickly; such liquids are said to be volatile or have a high vapor pressure. Vapor pressure (also known as equilibrium vapor pressure or saturation vapor pressure) is the Pressure of a Vapor in equilibrium Many chemical agents are made volatile so they can be dispersed over a large region quickly.

The earliest target of chemical warfare agent research was not toxicity, but development of agents that can affect a target through the skin and clothing, rendering protective gas masks useless. A gas mask is a Mask worn over the face to protect the wearer from inhaling airborne Pollutants and Toxic materials In July 1917, the Germans first employed mustard gas, the first agent that circumvented gas masks. The sulfur mustards, of which mustard gas ( Bis (2-chloroethyl sulfide is a member are a class of related Cytotoxic, Vesicant Chemical Mustard gas easily penetrates leather and fabric to inflict painful burns on the skin.

Chemical warfare agents are divided into lethal and incapacitating categories. A substance is classified as incapacitating if less than 1/100 of the lethal dose causes incapacitation, e. g. , through nausea or visual problems. The distinction between lethal and incapacitating substances is not fixed, but relies on a statistical average called the LD₅₀. In Toxicology, the median lethal dose, LD50 (abbreviation for “Lethal Dose 50%” or LCt50 (Lethal Concentration & Time of a

Persistency

One way to classify chemical warfare agents is according to their persistency, a measure of the length of time that a chemical agent remains effective after dissemination. Chemical agents are classified as persistent or nonpersistent.

Agents classified as nonpersistent lose effectiveness after only a few minutes or hours. Purely gaseous agents such as chlorine are nonpersistent, as are highly volatile agents such as sarin and most other nerve agents. Sarin, also known by its NATO designation of GB, is an extremely toxic substance whose sole application is as a Nerve agent. Tactically, nonpersistent agents are very useful against targets that are to be taken over and controlled very quickly. Generally speaking, nonpersistent agents present only an inhalation hazard.

By contrast, persistent agents tend to remain in the environment for as long as a week, complicating decontamination. Defense against persistent agents requires shielding for extended periods of time. Non-volatile liquid agents, such as blister agents and the oily VX nerve agent, do not easily evaporate into a gas, and therefore present primarily a contact hazard. VX (S--O-ethyl methylphosphonothioate is an extremely toxic substance whose sole application is as a Nerve agent.

Classes

Chemical warfare agents are organized into several categories according to the manner in which they affect the human body. The names and number of categories varies slightly from source to source, but in general, types of chemical warfare agents are as follows:

Classes of chemical weapon agents

Class of agent	Agent Names	Mode of Action	Signs and Symptoms	Rate of action	Persistency
Nerve	Cyclosarin (GF) Sarin (GB) Soman (GD) Tabun (GA) VX Some insecticides Novichok agents	Inactivates enzyme acetylcholinesterase, preventing the breakdown of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the victim's synapses and causing both muscarinic and nicotinic effects	Miosis (pinpoint pupils) Blurred/dim vision Headache Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea Copious secretions/sweating Muscle twitching/fasciculations Dyspnea Seizures Loss of consciousness	Vapors: seconds to minutes; Skin: 2 to 18 hours	VX is persistent and a contact hazard; other agents are non-persistent and present mostly inhalation hazards. Nerve agents (also being referred to as nerve gases, though these chemicals are liquid at room temperature are a class of Phosphorus -containing organic chemicals Chemical characteristics Like its predecessor sarin cyclosarin is a liquid Organophosphate nerve agent Sarin, also known by its NATO designation of GB, is an extremely toxic substance whose sole application is as a Nerve agent. Alternative names Soman is occasionally referred to by names other than soman or GD: Phosphonofluoridic acid methyl- 1 2 2-trimethylpropyl ester Effects of overexposure The exact symptoms of overexposure are similar to those created by all Nerve agents Tabun like all nerve agents is toxic even in minute doses VX (S--O-ethyl methylphosphonothioate is an extremely toxic substance whose sole application is as a Nerve agent. An insecticide is a Pesticide used against Insects in all developmental forms Novichok (Russian новичок: "Newcomer" is a series of Nerve agents that were developed by the Soviet Union in the 1970s and 1980s and See Chemical synapse for an introduction to concepts and terminology used in this article The Chemical compound acetylcholine (often abbreviated ACh) is a Neurotransmitter in both the Peripheral nervous system (PNS and Central Chemical synapses are specialized junctions through which Neurons signal to each other and to non-neuronal cells such as those in Muscles or Glands Muscarinic receptors, or mAChRs, are Acetylcholine receptors that form Metabotropic Ion channels in the Plasma membranes of certain Structure Nicotinic receptors with a molecular mass of 290 kDa, are made up of five subunits arranged symmetrically around the central pore. Miosis is Constriction of the Pupil of the Eye. This is a normal response to an increase in light but can also be associated with certain Pathological The pupil is the hole that is located in the center of the iris of the eye and that controls the amount of light that enters the Eye. Dyspnea or dyspnoea (pronounced disp-nee-ah, IPA /dɪsp'niə/ from Latin dyspnoea, from Greek dyspnoia from An epileptic seizure is caused by excessive and/or hypersynchronous electrical Neuronal activity and is usually self-limiting
Asphyxiant/Blood	Most Arsines Cyanogen chloride Hydrogen cyanide	Arsine: Causes intravascular hemolysis that may lead to renal failure. A blood agent or cyanogen agent is a Chemical compound, carried by the blood for distribution through the body Arsine is the chemical compound with the formula As[[hydrogen H]]3 Cyanogen chloride is a Chemical compound with the formula CNCl Hydrogen cyanide is a Chemical compound with Chemical formula HCN Hemolysis (or haemolysis)—from the Greek Hemo-, Greek meaning blood - Lysis, meaning to break open—is the breaking Renal failure or kidney Cyanogen chloride/hydrogen cyanide: Cyanide directly prevents cells from utilizing oxygen. A cyanide is any Chemical compound that contains the cyano group (C≡N which consists of a Carbon Atom triple-bonded to a Oxygen (from the Greek roots ὀξύς (oxys (acid literally "sharp" from the taste of acids and -γενής (-genēs (producer literally begetteris the The cells then uses anaerobic respiration, creating excess lactic acid and metabolic acidosis. See also Fermentation (biochemistry Anaerobic respiration (anaerobiosis refers to the Oxidation of molecules in the absence of Oxygen to produce Lactic acid ( IUPAC Systematic name: 2-hydroxypropanoic acid) also known as milk acid, is a Chemical compound that plays a role In Medicine, metabolic acidosis is a process which if unchecked leads to acidemia (i	Possible cherry-red skin Possible cyanosis Confusion Nausea Patients may gasp for air Seizures prior to death Metabolic acidosis	Immediate onset	Non-persistent and an inhalation hazard. Cyanosis is a blue coloration of the Skin and mucous membranes due to the presence of deoxygenated Hemoglobin in Blood vessels near the skin surface In Medicine, metabolic acidosis is a process which if unchecked leads to acidemia (i
Vesicant/Blister	Sulfur mustard (HD, H) Nitrogen mustard (HN-1, HN-2, HN-3) Lewisite (L) Phosgene oxime (CX)	Agents are acid-forming compounds that damages skin and respiratory system, resulting burns and respiratory problems. A blister agent (also known as a vesicant) is a chemical compound that causes severe skin eye and mucosal pain and irritation The sulfur mustards, of which mustard gas ( Bis (2-chloroethyl sulfide is a member are a class of related Cytotoxic, Vesicant Chemical Lewisite is a Chemical compound from a chemical family called Arsines While it is colorless and odorless when pure Lewisite is usually found as an oily yellow or Phosgene oxime, also known as dichloroformoxime or CX, is a Chemical weapon, specifically a Nettle agent. In Computer science, ACID ( Atomicity Consistency Isolation Durability) is a set of properties that guarantee that Database transactions are In living organisms a respiratory system functions to allow Gas exchange.	Severe skin, eye and mucosal pain and irritation Skin erythema with large fluid blisters that heal slowly and may become infected Tearing, conjunctivitis, corneal damage Mild respiratory distress to marked airway damage	Mustards: Vapors: 4 to 6 hours, eyes and lungs affected more rapidly; Skin: 2 to 48 hours Lewisite: Immediate	Persistent and a contact hazard. Erythema is redness of the Skin caused by Capillary congestion A blister is a small pocket of fluid within the upper layers of the skin Tears are the liquid product of a process of lacrimation to clean and lubricate the Eyes The word lacrimation may also be used in a medical or literary sense Conjunctivitis (commonly called " Pink Eye " or " Red Eye " in North America and " Madras eye " in India) is an inflammation The cornea is the transparent front part of the Eye that covers the iris, Pupil, and Anterior chamber.
Choking/Pulmonary	Chlorine Hydrogen chloride Nitrogen oxides Phosgene	Similar mechanism to blister agents in that the compounds are acids or acid-forming, but action is more pronounced in respiratory system, flooding it and resulting in suffocation; survivors often suffer chronic breathing problems. A pulmonary agent (or choking agent) is a Chemical weapon agent designed to impede a victim's ability to breathe. Chlorine (ˈklɔriːn from the Greek word 'χλωρóς' ( khlôros, meaning 'pale green' is the Chemical element with Atomic number 17 and The term nitrogen oxide typically refers to any Binary compound of Oxygen and Nitrogen, or to a mixture of such compounds Nitric Phosgene is the Chemical compound with the formula COCl2 This colorless gas gained infamy as a Chemical weapon during World War I In Computer science, ACID ( Atomicity Consistency Isolation Durability) is a set of properties that guarantee that Database transactions are In living organisms a respiratory system functions to allow Gas exchange.	Airway irritation Eye and skin irritation Dyspnea, cough Sore throat Chest tightness Wheezing Bronchospasm	Immediate to 3 hours	Non-persistent and an inhalation hazard. Dyspnea or dyspnoea (pronounced disp-nee-ah, IPA /dɪsp'niə/ from Latin dyspnoea, from Greek dyspnoia from Bronchospasm is a sudden constriction of the muscles in the walls of the Bronchioles It is caused by the release ( Degranulation) of substances from Mast cells
Lachrymatory agent	Tear gas Pepper spray	Causes severe stinging of the eyes and temporary blindness. A lachrymatory agent or lachrymator (from lacrima meaning "a tear " in Latin) (commonly referred to as tear gas) is a A lachrymatory agent or lachrymator (from lacrima meaning "a tear " in Latin) (commonly referred to as tear gas) is a Pepper spray (also known as OC spray (from " Oleoresin Capsicum " OC gas, capsicum spray, or oleoresin capsicum	Powerful eye irritation	Immediate	Non-persistent and an inhalation hazard.
Incapacitating	Agent 15 (BZ)	Causes atropine-like inhibition of acetylcholine in subject. The term incapacitating agent is defined by the US Department of Defense as "An agent that produces temporary Physiological or mental "QNB" redirects here For the spoof Amateur radio Q code, see QNB (amateur radio. Atropine is a Tropane Alkaloid extracted from Deadly nightshade ( Atropa belladonna) Jimsonweed (Datura stramonium and other plants The Chemical compound acetylcholine (often abbreviated ACh) is a Neurotransmitter in both the Peripheral nervous system (PNS and Central Causes peripheral nervous system effects that are the opposite of those seen in nerve agent poisoning. The peripheral nervous system ( PNS) resides or extends outside the Central nervous system (CNS which consists of the Brain and Spinal cord.	May appear as mass drug intoxication with erratic behaviors, shared realistic and distinct hallucinations, disrobing and confusion Hyperthermia Ataxia (lack of coordination) Mydriasis (dilated pupils) Dry mouth and skin	Inhaled: 30 minutes to 20 hours; Skin: Up to 36 hours after skin exposure to BZ. A psychoactive drug or psychotropic substance is a Chemical substance that acts primarily upon the Central nervous system where it alters Brain Intoxication is the state of being affected by one or more psychoactive drugs. A hallucination, in the broadest sense is a Perception in the absence of a stimulus. Confusion, of a Pathological degree usually refers to loss of orientation (ability to place oneself correctly in the world by time location and personal identity and Hyperthermia, in its advanced state referred to as heat stroke or sunstroke, is an acute condition which occurs when the Body produces or absorbs more Ataxia (from Greek α- as a negative prefix + -τάξις, meaning "lack of order" is a neurological sign and symptom consisting "Dilated pupil" redirects here An Eye examination sometimes requires the dilation of the pupil Duration is typically 72 to 96 hours.	Extremely persistent in soil and water and on most surfaces; contact hazard.
Cytotoxic proteins	Non-living biological proteins, such as: Ricin Abrin	Inhibit protein synthesis	Latent period of 4-8 hours, followed by flu-like signs and symptoms Progress within 18-24 hours to: Inhalation: nausea, cough, dyspnea, pulmonary edema Ingestion: Gastrointestinal hemorrhage with emesis and bloody diarrhea; eventual liver and kidney failure. Cytotoxicity is the quality of being toxic to cells Examples of toxic agents are a Chemical substance, an Immune cell or some types of Venom Ricin (ˈraɪ sɨn is a Protein Toxin that is extracted from the castor bean ( Ricinus communis) Abrin is a natural Poison that is found in the seeds of a plant called the Rosary pea or Jequirity pea Protein biosynthesis (synthesis is the process in which cells build Proteins The term is sometimes used to refer only to protein translation but more Nausea ( Latin: Nausea, Greek:, " Sea-sickness " also called wamble) is the sensation of unease and discomfort In Medicine, a cough ( Latin: tussis) is a sudden and often repetitively occurring defence Reflex which helps to clear the large breathing passages Dyspnea or dyspnoea (pronounced disp-nee-ah, IPA /dɪsp'niə/ from Latin dyspnoea, from Greek dyspnoia from Pulmonary Edema (American English or oedema (British English is swelling and/or fluid accumulation in the Lungs It leads to impaired gas exchange and may cause Vomiting (also called throwing up, emesis) is the forceful expulsion of the contents of one's Stomach through the Mouth and sometimes the Bloody is the adjectival form of Blood but may also be used as an expletive attributive (intensifier in Australia, Britain Liver failure is the inability of the Liver to perform its normal synthetic and metabolic function as part of normal physiology Renal failure or kidney	4-24 hours; see symptoms. Exposure by inhalation or injection causes more pronounced signs and symptoms than exposure by ingestion	Slight; agents degrade quickly in environment

There are other chemicals used militarily that are not scheduled by the Chemical Weapons Convention, and thus are not controlled under the CWC treaties. Inhalation (also known as respiration) is the movement of air from the external environment through the air ways and into the Alveoli. An injection is an infusion method of putting Liquid into the Body, usually with a hollow needle and a Syringe which is pierced through Ingestion is the consumption of a substance by an Organism. In Animals it normally is accomplished by taking in the substance through the Mouth into the The Chemical Weapons Convention ( CWC) is an Arms control agreement which outlaws the production stockpiling and use of chemical weapons Its full name is These include:

• Defoliants that destroy vegetation, but are not immediately toxic to human beings. A defoliant is any chemical sprayed or dusted on plants to cause its leaves to fall off Some batches of Agent Orange, for instance, used by the United States in Vietnam, contained dioxins as manufacturing impurities. Agent Orange is the code name for a powerful Herbicide and Defoliant used by the U Not to be confused with Dioxane or Digoxin. Dioxin is a heterocyclic, organic, antiaromatic compound Dioxins, rather than Agent Orange itself, have long-term cancer effects and for causing genetic damage leading to serious birth deformities. Cancer (medical term Malignant Neoplasm) is a class of Diseases in which a group of cells display uncontrolled
• Incendiary or explosive chemicals (such as napalm, extensively used by the United States in Vietnam, or dynamite) because their destructive effects are primarily due to fire or explosive force, and not direct chemical action. An explosive material is a material that either is chemically or otherwise Energetically unstable or produces a sudden expansion of the material usually accompanied Napalm is the name given to any of a number of Flammable Liquids used in Warfare often jellied Gasoline. Dynamite is an explosive based on the explosive potential of Nitroglycerin, initially using Diatomaceous earth (kieselgur US Spelling kieselguhr
• Viruses, bacteria, or other organisms. A virus (from the Latin virus meaning Toxin or Poison) is a sub-microscopic infectious agent that is unable The Bacteria ( singular: bacterium) are a large group of unicellular Microorganisms Typically a few Micrometres in length bacteria have Their use is classified as biological warfare. Biological warfare (BW — known as a germ warfare, biological weapons and bioweaponry — is the use of any Pathogen ( Bacterium Toxins produced by living organisms are considered chemical weapons, although the boundary is blurry. A toxin ( Greek:, toxikon, lit (poison for use on arrows is a Poisonous substance produced by living cells or organisms that is active at very low Toxins are covered by the Biological Weapons Convention. The Convention on the Prohibition of the Development Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction (usually referred to as the

Designations

For more details on this topic, see chemical weapon designation. Chemical, biological, and radiological warfare agents are sometimes assigned what is termed a military symbol.

Most chemical weapons are assigned a one- to three-letter "NATO weapon designation" in addition to, or in place of, a common name. The North Atlantic Treaty Binary munitions, in which precursors for chemical warfare agents are automatically mixed in shell to produce the agent just prior to its use, are indicated by a "-2" following the agent's designation (for example, GB-2 and VX-2). Binary chemical weapons or munitions are Chemical weapons wherein the Toxic agent is not contained within the weapon in its active state but in the form

Some examples are given below:

Blood agents:	Vesicants:
Cyanogen chloride: CK Hydrogen cyanide: AC	Lewisite: L Sulfur mustard: H, HD, HS, HT
Pulmonary agents:	Incapacitating agents:
Phosgene: CG	Quinuclidinyl benzilate: BZ
Lachrymatory agents:	Nerve agents:
Pepper spray: OC Tear gas: CN, CS, CR	Sarin: GB VE, VG, VM, VX

Delivery

The most important factor in the effectiveness of chemical weapons is the efficiency of its delivery, or dissemination, to a target. Cyanogen chloride is a Chemical compound with the formula CNCl Hydrogen cyanide is a Chemical compound with Chemical formula HCN Lewisite is a Chemical compound from a chemical family called Arsines While it is colorless and odorless when pure Lewisite is usually found as an oily yellow or The sulfur mustards, of which mustard gas ( Bis (2-chloroethyl sulfide is a member are a class of related Cytotoxic, Vesicant Chemical Phosgene is the Chemical compound with the formula COCl2 This colorless gas gained infamy as a Chemical weapon during World War I "QNB" redirects here For the spoof Amateur radio Q code, see QNB (amateur radio. Pepper spray (also known as OC spray (from " Oleoresin Capsicum " OC gas, capsicum spray, or oleoresin capsicum A lachrymatory agent or lachrymator (from lacrima meaning "a tear " in Latin) (commonly referred to as tear gas) is a Sarin, also known by its NATO designation of GB, is an extremely toxic substance whose sole application is as a Nerve agent. VE (S-(Diethylaminoethyl O-ethyl ethylphosphonothioate is a "V-series" Nerve agent closely related to the better-known VX nerve agent. VG (OO-Diethyl-S- phosphorothioate (also called Amiton or Tetram) is a "V-series" Nerve agent chemically similar to the better-known VM ( Edemo) is a "V-series" Nerve agent closely related to the better-known VX nerve agent. VX (S--O-ethyl methylphosphonothioate is an extremely toxic substance whose sole application is as a Nerve agent. The most common techniques include munitions (such as bombs, projectiles, warheads) that allow dissemination at a distance and spray tanks which disseminate from low-flying aircraft. Developments in the techniques of filling and storage of munitions have also been important.

Although there have been many advances in chemical weapon delivery since World War I, it is still difficult to achieve effective dispersion. The dissemination is highly dependent on atmospheric conditions because many chemical agents act in gaseous form. Thus, weather observations and forecasting are essential to optimize weapon delivery and reduce the risk of injuring friendly forces.

Past Chemical Wars

Dispersion

Dispersion is the simplest technique of delivering an agent to its target. It consists of placing the chemical agent upon or adjacent to a target immediately before dissemination, so that the material is most efficiently used.

World War I saw the earliest implementation of this technique, when German forces at Ypres simply opened cylinders of chlorine and allowed the wind to carry the gas across enemy lines. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All While simple, this technique had numerous disadvantages. Moving large numbers of heavy gas cylinders to the front-line positions from where the gas would be released was a lengthy and difficult logistical task. Stockpiles of cylinders had to be stored at the front line, posing a great risk if hit by artillery shells. Gas delivery depended greatly on wind speed and direction. If the wind was fickle, as at Loos, the gas could blow back, causing friendly casualties. The Battle of Loos was one of the major British offensives mounted on the Western Front in 1915 during World War I. Gas clouds gave plenty of warning, allowing the enemy time to protect themselves, though many soldiers found the sight of a creeping gas cloud unnerving. Also gas clouds had limited penetration, capable only of affecting the front-line trenches before dissipating. Although it produced limited results in World War I, this technique shows how simple chemical weapon dissemination can be.

Shortly after this "open canister" dissemination, French forces developed a technique for delivery of phosgene in a non-explosive artillery shell. Phosgene is the Chemical compound with the formula COCl2 This colorless gas gained infamy as a Chemical weapon during World War I Artillery (from French artillerie) is a military Combat Arm which employs any apparātus machine This technique overcame many of the risks of dealing with gas in cylinders. First, gas shells were independent of the wind and increased the effective range of gas, making any target within reach of guns vulnerable. Second, gas shells could be delivered without warning, especially the clear, nearly odorless phosgene — there are numerous accounts of gas shells, landing with a "plop" rather than exploding, being initially dismissed as dud high explosive or shrapnel shells, giving the gas time to work before the soldiers were alerted and took precautions. An explosive material is a material that either is chemically or otherwise Energetically unstable or produces a sudden expansion of the material usually accompanied Shrapnel is the term originally applied to an anti-personnel artillery shell which carried a large number of individual bullets to the target and then ejected them forwards relying

The major drawback of artillery delivery was the difficulty of achieving a killing concentration. Each shell had a small gas payload and an area would have to be subjected to saturation bombardment to produce a cloud to match cylinder delivery. A British solution to the problem was the Livens Projector. The Livens Projector was a type of mortar that was used by the Allies in World War I for Chemical warfare. This was effectively a large-bore mortar, dug into the ground that used the gas cylinders themselves as projectiles - firing a 14 kg cylinder up to 1500 m. This combined the gas volume of cylinders with the range of artillery.

Over the years, there were some refinements in this technique. In the 1950s and early 1960s, chemical artillery rockets contained a multitude of submunitions, so that a large number of small clouds of the chemical agent would form directly on the target.

Thermal dissemination

Thermal dissemination is the use of explosives or pyrotechnics to deliver chemical agents. An explosive material is a material that either is chemically or otherwise Energetically unstable or produces a sudden expansion of the material usually accompanied The term "pyrotechnics" can also be used for Fireworks events This technique, developed in the 1920s, was a major improvement over earlier dispersal techniques, in that it allowed significant quantities of an agent to be disseminated over a considerable distance. Thermal dissemination remains the principal method of disseminating chemical agents today.

Most thermal dissemination devices consist of a bomb or projectile shell that contains a chemical agent and a central "burster" charge; when the burster detonates, the agent is expelled laterally. A bomb is any of a range of devices that typically rely on the Exothermic Chemical reaction of an Explosive material to produce an extremely A shell is a payload-carrying Projectile, which as opposed to shot, contains an explosive or other filling though modern usage includes large solid projectiles

Thermal dissemination devices, though common, are not particularly efficient. First, a percentage of the agent is lost by incineration in the initial blast and by being forced onto the ground. Second, the sizes of the particles vary greatly because explosive dissemination produces a mixture of liquid droplets of variable and difficult to control sizes.

The efficacy of thermal detonation is greatly limited by the flammability of some agents. For flammable aerosols, the cloud is sometimes totally or partially ignited by the disseminating explosion in a phenomenon called flashing. Particulates, alternatively referred to as particulate matter (PM or fine particles, are tiny particles of solid or liquid suspended in a gas Explosively disseminated VX will ignite roughly one third of the time. VX (S--O-ethyl methylphosphonothioate is an extremely toxic substance whose sole application is as a Nerve agent. Despite a great deal of study, flashing is still not fully understood, and a solution to the problem would be a major technological advance.

Despite the limitations of central bursters, most nations use this method in the early stages of chemical weapon development, in part because standard munitions can be adapted to carry the agents.

Aerodynamic dissemination

Aerodynamic dissemination is the non-explosive delivery of a chemical agent from an aircraft, allowing aerodynamic stress to disseminate the agent. This technique is the most recent major development in chemical agent dissemination, originating in the mid-1960s.

This technique eliminates many of the limitations of thermal dissemination by eliminating the flashing effect and theoretically allowing precise control of particle size. In actuality, the altitude of dissemination, wind direction and velocity, and the direction and velocity of the aircraft greatly influence particle size. There are other drawbacks as well; ideal deployment requires precise knowledge of aerodynamics and fluid dynamics, and because the agent must usually be dispersed within the boundary layer (less than 200–300 ft above the ground), it puts pilots at risk. Fluid dynamics is the sub-discipline of Fluid mechanics dealing with fluid flow: Fluids ( Liquids and Gases in motion In Physics and Fluid mechanics, a boundary layer is that layer of Fluid in the immediate vicinity of a bounding surface

Significant research is still being applied toward this technique. For example, by modifying the properties of the liquid, its breakup when subjected to aerodynamic stress can be controlled and an idealized particle distribution achieved, even at supersonic speed. Additionally, advances in fluid dynamics, computer modeling, and weather forecasting allow an ideal direction, speed, and altitude to be calculated, such that warfare agent of a predetermined particle size can predictably and reliably hit a target. A computer simulation, a computer model or a computational model is a Computer program, or network of computers that attempts to simulate an Weather forecasting is the application of science and technology to predict the state of the atmosphere for a future time and a given location

Protection against chemical warfare

Ideal protection begins with nonproliferation treaties such as the Chemical Weapons Convention, and detecting, very early, the signatures of someone building a chemical weapons capability. The Chemical Weapons Convention ( CWC) is an Arms control agreement which outlaws the production stockpiling and use of chemical weapons Its full name is These include a wide range of intelligence disciplines, such as economic analysis of exports of dual-use chemicals and equipment, human intelligence (HUMINT) such as diplomatic, refugee, and agent reports; photography from satellites, aircraft and drones (IMINT); examination of captured equipment (TECHINT); communications intercepts (COMINT); and detection of chemical manufacturing and chemical agents themselves (MASINT). HUMINT, a syllabic abbreviation of the words HUMan INTelligence refers to intelligence gathering by means of interpersonal contact as opposed to the more technical IMINT, short for IM agery INT elligence is an intelligence gathering discipline which collects information via satellite and Aerial photography In a pure military context Technical Intelligence (TECHINT is intelligence about Weapons and equipment used by the Armed forces of foreign nations (often referred Materials MASINT is one of the six major disciplines generally accepted to make up the field of Measurement and Signature Intelligence (MASINT with due regard that the MASINT

If all the preventive measures fail and there is a clear and present danger, then there is a need for detection of chemical attacks,^[5] collective protection,^[6][7][8] and decontamination. Since industrial accidents can cause dangerous chemical releases (e. g. , the Bhopal disaster), these activities are things that civilian, as well as military, organizations must be prepared to carry out. The Bhopal disaster was an Industrial disaster that occurred in the city of Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India, resulting in the immediate deaths In civilian situations in developed countries, these are duties of HAZMAT organizations, which most commonly are part of fire departments. A dangerous good is any Solid, Liquid, or Gas that can harm people other living Organisms property or the environment

Detection has been referred to above, as a technical MASINT discipline; specific military procedures, which are usually the model for civilian procedures, depend on the equipment, expertise, and personnel available. When chemical agents are detected, an alarm needs to sound, with specific warnings over emergency broadcasts and the like. An alarm (French À l'arme - "To the arms" gives an audible or visual Warning of a problem or condition There may be a warning to expect an attack. If, for example, the captain of a US Navy ship believes there is a serious threat of chemical, biological, or radiological attack, the crew may be ordered to set Circle William, which means closing all openings to outside air, running breathing air through filters, and possibly starting a system that continually washes down the exterior surfaces. Civilian authorities dealing with an attack or a toxic chemical accident will invoke the Incident Command System, or local equivalent, to coordinate defensive measures. The Incident Command System (ICS is a standardized on-scene all-hazard incident management concept in the United States. ^[8]

Individual protection starts with a gas mask and, depending on the nature of the threat, through various levels of protective clothing up to a complete chemical-resistant suit with a self-contained air supply. A gas mask is a Mask worn over the face to protect the wearer from inhaling airborne Pollutants and Toxic materials The US military defines various levels of MOPP (mission-oriented protective posture) from mask to full chemical resistant suits; Hazmat suits are the civilian equivalent, but go farther to include a fully independent air supply, rather than the filters of a gas mask. MOPP ( M ission O riented P rotective P osture (acronym pronounced as "mop" is a Military A hazmat suit is a garment worn as protection from '''haz'''ardous '''mat'''erials or substances

Collective protection allows continued functioning of groups of people in buildings or shelters, the latter which may be fixed, mobile, or improvised. With ordinary buildings, this may be as basic as plastic sheeting and tape, although if the protection needs to be continued for any appreciable length of time, there will need to be an air supply, typically a scaled-up version of a gas mask. ^[7][8]

Decontamination varies with the particular chemical agent used. Some nonpersistent agents, such as most pulmonary agents such as chlorine and phosgene, blood gases, and nonpersistent nerve gases (e. Chlorine (ˈklɔriːn from the Greek word 'χλωρóς' ( khlôros, meaning 'pale green' is the Chemical element with Atomic number 17 and Phosgene is the Chemical compound with the formula COCl2 This colorless gas gained infamy as a Chemical weapon during World War I An arterial blood gas ( ABG) is a Blood test that is performed specifically on Blood from an Artery. g. , GB) will dissipate from open areas, although powerful exhaust fans may be needed to clear out building where they have accumulated. In some cases, it might be necessary to neutralize them chemically, as with ammonia as a neutralizer for hydrogen cyanide or chlorine. Ammonia is a compound with the formula N[[hydrogen H3]] It is normally encountered as a Gas with a characteristic pungent Odor Hydrogen cyanide is a Chemical compound with Chemical formula HCN Chlorine (ˈklɔriːn from the Greek word 'χλωρóς' ( khlôros, meaning 'pale green' is the Chemical element with Atomic number 17 and Riot control agents such as CS will dissipate in an open area, but things contaminated with CS powder need to be aired out, washed by people wearing protective gear, or safely discarded.

Mass decontamination is a less common requirement for people than equipment, since people may be immediately affected and treatment is the action required. Mass decontamination (abbreviated mass decon It is a requirement when people have been contaminated with persistent agents. Treatment and decontamination may need to be simultaneous, with the medical personnel protecting themselves so they can function. ^[9] There may need to be immediate intervention to prevent death, such as injection of atropine for nerve agents. Decontamination is especially important for people contaminated with persistent agents; many of the fatalities after the explosion of a WWII US ammunition ship carrying mustard gas, in the harbor of Bari, Italy, after a German bombing on 2 December 1943, came when rescue workers, not knowing of the contamination, bundled cold, wet seamen in tight-fitting blankets. The Air Raid on Bari was an air attack on Allied forces and shipping in Bari, Italy by Nazi German Bombers on December 2

For decontaminating equipment and building exposed to persistent agents, such as blister agents and VX, some special equipment and materials will be needed. A blister agent (also known as a vesicant) is a chemical compound that causes severe skin eye and mucosal pain and irritation Some type of neutralizing spray will be needed, which, with the less toxic agents such as chlorine, can be a strong water spray. In other cases, a specific chemical decontaminant will be required. ^[8]

Sociopolitical climate

ARMIS BELLA NON VENENIS GERI "War is fought with weapons, not with poisons"

While the study of chemicals and their military uses was widespread in China, the use of toxic materials has historically been viewed with mixed emotions and some disdain in the West. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National

One of the earliest reactions to the use of chemical agents was from Rome. History See Structural history of the Roman military The branches of the Roman military at the highest level were the Struggling to defend themselves from the Roman legions, Germanic tribes poisoned the wells of their enemies, with Roman jurists having been recorded as declaring "armis bella non venenis geri", meaning "war is fought with weapons, not with poisons. For other uses see Legion The Roman Legion (from Latin legio "military levy Conscription," The Germanic peoples are a historical group of Indo-European -speaking peoples originating in Northern Europe and identified by their use of the Germanic A weapon is a Tool used either in Hunting, or attack or defence in Combat for the purpose of subduing enemy personnel or to destroy enemy weapons In the context of Biology, poisons are substances that can cause damage, Illness, or Death to Organisms usually by "

Before 1915 the use of poisonous chemicals in battle was typically the result of local initiative, and not the result of an active government chemical weapons program. There are many reports of the isolated use of chemical agents in individual battles or sieges, but there was no true tradition of their use outside of incendiaries and smoke. Despite this tendency, there have been several attempts to initiate large-scale implementation of poison gas in several wars, but with the notable exception of World War I, the responsible authorities generally rejected the proposals for ethical reasons.

For example, in 1854 Lyon Playfair, a British chemist, proposed using a cyanide-filled artillery shell against enemy ships during the Crimean War. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A cyanide is any Chemical compound that contains the cyano group (C≡N which consists of a Carbon Atom triple-bonded to a Artillery (from French artillerie) is a military Combat Arm which employs any apparātus machine The Crimean War, also known in Russia as the Eastern War (Восточная война Vostochnaya Vojna) (March 1854–February 1856 was fought The British Ordnance Department rejected the proposal as "as bad a mode of warfare as poisoning the wells of the enemy. "

Efforts to eradicate chemical weapons

Nation	CW Possession	Signed CWC	Ratified CWC
Albania	Known	January 14, 1993	May 11, 1994
Burma (Myanmar)	Possible	January 13, 1993	No
the People's Republic of China	Probable	January 13, 1993	April 4, 1997
Egypt	Probable	No	No
France	Probable	January 13, 1993	March 2, 1995
India	Known	January 14, 1993	September 3, 1996
Iran	Known	January 13, 1993	November 3, 1997
Israel	Probable	January 13, 1993	No
Japan	Probable	January 13, 1993	September 15, 1995
Libya	Known	No	January 6, 2004 (acceded)
North Korea	Known	No	No
Pakistan	Probable	January 13, 1993	October 28, 1997
Russia	Known	January 13, 1993	November 5, 1997
Serbia and Montenegro	Probable	No	April 20, 2000 (acceded)
Sudan	Possible	No	May 24, 1999 (acceded)
Syria	Known	No	No
Taiwan	Possible	n/a	n/a
United States	Known	January 13, 1993	April 25, 1997
Vietnam	Probable	January 13, 1993	September 30, 1998

• August 27, 1874: The Brussels Declaration Concerning the Laws and Customs of War is signed, specifically forbidding the "employment of poison or poisoned weapons. This article is about the country in southern Europe For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Albania topics. Events 1129 - Formal approval of the Order of the Templar at the Council of Troyes. Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) Events 330 - Byzantium is renamed ''Nova Roma'' during a dedication ceremony but is more popularly referred to as Constantinople Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. Events 532 - Nika riots in Constantinople. 888 - Odo Count of Paris becomes King of the Franks Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Events 532 - Nika riots in Constantinople. 888 - Odo Count of Paris becomes King of the Franks Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) Events 1581 - Francis Drake completes a circumnavigation of the world and is knighted by Elizabeth I. Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Events 532 - Nika riots in Constantinople. 888 - Odo Count of Paris becomes King of the Franks Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) Events 986 - Louis V becomes King of the Franks. 1127 - Assassination of Charles the Good Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Events 1129 - Formal approval of the Order of the Templar at the Council of Troyes. Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) Events 36 BC - In the Battle of Naulochus, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, Admiral of Octavian, defeats Sextus Pompeius Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Events 532 - Nika riots in Constantinople. 888 - Odo Count of Paris becomes King of the Franks Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) Events 644 - Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second Muslim Caliph, is killed by a Persian slave in Medina. Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Events 532 - Nika riots in Constantinople. 888 - Odo Count of Paris becomes King of the Franks Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Events 532 - Nika riots in Constantinople. 888 - Odo Count of Paris becomes King of the Franks Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) Events 668 - Eastern Roman Emperor Constans II is assassinated in his bath at Syracuse Italy. Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 Libya ( ليبيا ar-Latn Lībiyā; Libyan vernacular: Lībya; Amazigh:) officially the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Events 1066 - Harold Godwinson is crowned King of England. 1205 - Philip of Swabia becomes King "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " North Korea is the commonly used short form name for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (or DPRK) a State located in East Asia, Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and Events 532 - Nika riots in Constantinople. 888 - Odo Count of Paris becomes King of the Franks Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) Events 306 - Maxentius is proclaimed Roman Emperor. 312 - Battle of Milvian Bridge: Constantine Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Events 532 - Nika riots in Constantinople. 888 - Odo Count of Paris becomes King of the Franks Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) Events 1499 - Publication of the Catholicon in Treguier ( Brittany) Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar The State Union of Serbia and Montenegro (Државна заједница Србија и Црна Гора / Državna zajednica Srbija i Crna Gora, abbreviated Events 1303 - The University of Rome La Sapienza is instituted by Pope Boniface VIII. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Sudan (officially the Republic of Sudan) ( السودان al-Sūdān is a country in northeastern Africa. Events 1218 - The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt. 1276 - Magnus Ladulås is crowned Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية Taiwan ( Taiwanese: Tâi-oân/Tāi-oân (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣 is an Island in East Asia. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events 532 - Nika riots in Constantinople. 888 - Odo Count of Paris becomes King of the Franks Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) Events 1607 - Eighty Years' War: The Dutch fleet destroys the anchored Spanish fleet at Gibraltar. Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar Vietnam (ˌviːɛtˈnɑːm Việt Nam) officially Events 532 - Nika riots in Constantinople. 888 - Odo Count of Paris becomes King of the Franks Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) Events 1399 - Henry IV is proclaimed King of England. 1744 - France and Spain defeat the Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) Events 479 BC - Greco-Persian Wars: Persian forces led by Mardonius are routed by Pausanias, the Spartan Year 1874 ( MDCCCLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common "
• September 4, 1900: The Hague Conference, which includes a declaration banning the "use of projectiles the object of which is the diffusion of asphyxiating or deleterious gases," enters into force. Events 476 - Romulus Augustus, last emperor of the Western Roman Empire, is deposed when Odoacer proclaims himself Year 1900 ( MCM) was an exceptional Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar The Hague Conventions were international treaties negotiated at the First and Second Peace Conferences at The Hague, Netherlands in 1899 and
• February 6, 1922: After World War I, the Washington Arms Conference Treaty prohibited the use of asphyxiating, poisonous or other gases. Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats the combined army of Pompeian followers and Numidians under Metellus Scipio Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. It was signed by the United States, Britain, Japan, France, and Italy, but France objected to other provisions in the treaty and it never went into effect.
• September 7, 1929: The Geneva Protocol enters into force, prohibiting the use of poison gas. Events 1251 BC - A Solar eclipse on this date might mark the birth of legendary Heracles at Thebes Greece. Year 1929 ( MCMXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating Poisonous or other Gases and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare, usually called the Geneva Protocol

Chemical weapon proliferation

Main article: Chemical weapon proliferation

Despite numerous efforts to reduce or eliminate them, some nations continue to research and/or stockpile chemical warfare agents. Despite numerous efforts to reduce or eliminate them many nations continue to research and/or stockpile Chemical weapon agents To the right is a summary of the nations that have either declared weapon stockpiles or are suspected of secretly stockpiling or possessing CW research programs. Notable examples include China. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National

According to the testimony of Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research Carl W. Ford before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, it is very probable that China has an advanced chemical warfare program, including research and development, production, and weaponization capabilities. Furthermore, there is considerable concern from the US regarding China's contact and sharing of chemical weapons expertise with other states of proliferation concern, including Syria and Iran.

History

War Military History

Eras Prehistoric Ancient Medieval Gunpowder Industrial Modern Battlespace Air Information Land Sea Space Weapons Armor Artillery Biological Cavalry Chemical Electronic Infantry Nuclear Psychological Tactics Attrition Guerilla Maneuver Siege Total war Trench Strategy Economic Grand Operational Organization Formations Ranks Units Logistics Equipment Materiel Supply line Lists Battles Commanders Operations Sieges Theorists Wars War crimes Weapons Writers War Portal   v • d • e

Ancient to medieval times

Chemical weapons have been used for millennia in the form of poisoned arrows, but evidence can be found for the existence of more advanced forms of chemical weapons in ancient and classical times. War is an international relations Dispute, characterized by organized Violence between National Military units Military history is a Humanities discipline within the scope of general historical recording of armed conflict in the history of humanity Prehistoric warfare is War conducted in the era before Writing, and before the establishments of large social entities like States Historical warfare sets Ancient warfare is War as conducted from the beginnings of recorded History to the end of the ancient period Medieval Warfare is the warfare of the Middle Ages. In Europe technological cultural and social developments had forced a dramatic transformation in the character Early Modern warfare is associated with the start of the widespread use of Gunpowder and the development of suitable weapons to use the explosive Industrial warfare is a period in the History of warfare ranging roughly from the start of the Industrial Revolution to the beginning of the Information Age Modern warfare, although present in every Historical period of Military history, is generally used to refer to the concepts, methods and Battlespace is a unified strategy to integrate and combine Armed forces for the Military theatre of operations, including air, information Air power redirects here for electrical and mechanical energy supplied by air movement see Wind power Information warfare is the use and management of information in pursuit of a competitive advantage over an opponent Land warfare, sometimes also called ground combat is the term used to describe military operations eventuating in Combat that take place predominantly on the land surface of Naval warfare is Combat in and on Seas Oceans or any other major bodies of water such as large Lakes and wide Rivers History Space warfare is combat that takes place in Outer space, ie outside the Atmosphere. A weapon is a Tool used either in Hunting, or attack or defence in Combat for the purpose of subduing enemy personnel or to destroy enemy weapons Armoured warfare or tank warfare is the use of Armoured fighting vehicles in Modern warfare. Artillery (from French artillerie) is a military Combat Arm which employs any apparātus machine Biological warfare (BW — known as a germ warfare, biological weapons and bioweaponry — is the use of any Pathogen ( Bacterium The Cavalry (from French cavalerie) is the second oldest of the Combat Arms, and as Soldiers or Warriors who fought mounted on Electronic warfare ( EW) is the use of the Electromagnetic spectrum to effectively deny the use of this medium by an adversary while optimizing its use by friendly The Infantry is the oldest and most numerous of the Combat Arms in the Armed forces, and consists A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from Nuclear reactions either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. The US Department of Defense defines psychological warfare ( PSYWAR) as" The planned use of Propaganda and other Psychological actions Military tactics ( Greek: Taktikē, the art of organizing an army are the techniques for using weapons or military units in combination for engaging and defeating This article is about the military strategy For the Israeli-Egyptian conflict see War of Attrition, for the game theoretical model see War of attrition (game Guerrilla warfare is the unconventional warfare and combat with which a small group of combatants use mobile tactics (ambushes raids etc Maneuver warfare, also spelled manoeuvre warfare, is the term used by military theorists for a concept of Warfare that advocates attempting to Total war is a conflict of unlimited scope in which a Belligerent engages in a total mobilization of all available resources at his disposal Trench warfare is a form of warfare where both combatants have fortified positions and fighting lines are static Military strategy is a National defence policy implemented by Military organisations to pursue desired strategic goals Derived from the Greek Economic warfare is the term for economic policies followed as a part of Military operations during Wartime The purpose of economic warfare is to capture Grand strategy is military Strategy at the level of movement and use of an entire Nation state or Empire 's resources A military organization is a way of structuring the armed forces of a State as a need to offer Military capability required by the National defence policy A military organization is a way of structuring the armed forces of a State as a need to offer Military capability required by the National defence policy Military rank is a system of hierarchical relationships in Armed forces or civil institutions organized along military lines A military organization is a way of structuring the armed forces of a State as a need to offer Military capability required by the National defence policy Military Logistics is the art and science of planning and carrying out the movement and maintenance of military forces This article lists military technology items devices and methods Materiel (from the French "matériel" for equipment or hardware related to the word Material) is a term used in English to refer to the Military supply chain management is a cross-functional approach to procuring, producing and delivering products and services The broad This is an index to articles listing Battles. List of battles (alphabetical gives a global list See also Military History Antiquity Albania Agron ( 250 BC - 230 BC) The first king to unite the Illyrian This is a list of missions operations and projects Missions in support of other missions are not listed independently A Siege is a prolonged Military Assault and Blockade on a City or Fortress with the intent of conquering by force or Attrition See also List of military writers. Friedrich von Bernhardi Ivan Bloch John Boyd, inventor of the OODA Loop This is a listing of lists of Wars, sorted by country date region and type of conflict This article lists and summarizes War crimes committed since the Hague Convention of 1907. There is a bewildering array of Weapons far more than would be useful in list form This is a list of military writers, alphabetical by last name Archery is the practice of using a bow or Crossbow to shoot Arrows Archery has historically been used in Hunting and Combat and has

A good example of early chemical warfare was the late Stone Age (10 000 BC) hunter-gatherer societies in Southern Africa, known as the San. The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric time period during which Humans widely used stone for toolmaking The Bushmen, San, Sho, Basarwa, ǃKung or Khwe are indigenous people of southern Africa that spans most areas of South Africa They used poisoned arrows, tipping the wood, bone and stone tips of their arrows with poisons obtained from their natural environment. These poisons were mainly derived from scorpion or snake venom, but it is believed that some poisonous plants were also utilized. Scorpions are eight-legged Carnivorous Arthropods They are members of the order Scorpiones within the class Arachnida. A snake is an elongate Reptile of the suborder Serpentes Like all reptiles snakes are covered in scales. This article is about the class of Biotoxins For other uses see Venom (disambiguation and Venomous (disambiguation. The arrow was fired into the target of choice, usually an antelope (the favourite being an eland), with the hunter then tracking the doomed animal until the poison caused its collapse. Antelope are Ruminant hoofed Mammals of the family Bovidae in the order of Even-toed ungulates.

The earliest surviving references to toxic warfare are possibly those in the Indian epics Ramayana and Mahabharata. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The Rāmāyaṇa ( Devanāgarī: sa रामायण is an ancient Sanskrit epic attributed to the Hindu sage ( Maharishi) Valmiki The Manusmriti book of laws also forbids use of poison weapons. The Manu Smriti ( Sanskrit: मनुस्मृति is a work of Hindu law and ancient Indian society ^[10]

Dating from the 4th century BC, writings of the Mohist sect in China describe the use of bellows to pump smoke from burning balls of mustard and other toxic vegetables into tunnels being dug by a besieging army. Mohism or Moism ( was a Chinese philosophy developed by the followers of Mozi (also referred to as Mo Di 470 &ndashc China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National For the prepared condiment see Mustard (condiment. For other uses of the term "mustard" see Mustard. Even older Chinese writings dating back to about 1000 BC contain hundreds of recipes for the production of poisonous or irritating smokes for use in war along with numerous accounts of their use. From these accounts we know of the arsenic-containing "soul-hunting fog", and the use of finely divided lime dispersed into the air to suppress a peasant revolt in AD 178. Arsenic (ˈɑrsənɪk is a Chemical element that has the symbol As and Atomic number of 33 Events By location Roman Empire Commodus and Marcus Aurelius travel to the Danube to engage the Marcomanni

The earliest recorded use of gas warfare in the West dates back to the 5th century BC, during the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta. Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's The city of Sparta ( Doric Σπάρτα Attic Σπάρτη Spartan forces besieging an Athenian city placed a lighted mixture of wood, pitch, and sulfur under the walls hoping that the noxious smoke would incapacitate the Athenians, so that they would not be able to resist the assault that followed. Sparta wasn't alone in its use of unconventional tactics during these wars: Solon of Athens is said to have used hellebore roots to poison the water in an aqueduct leading from the Pleistrus River around 590 BC during the siege of Cirrha. Solon ( ancient Greek:, c 638 BC&ndash558 BC was an Athenian Statesman, Lawmaker and Lyric poet. Commonly known as Hellebores, members of the genus Helleborus comprise approximately 20 species (ongoing fieldwork may see this figure change of Herbaceous Cirrha is a genus of moth in the family Gelechiidae.

Chemical weapons were known and used in ancient and medieval China. Polish chronicler Jan Długosz mentions usage of poisonous gas by the Mongol army in 1241 in the Battle of Legnica. Jan Długosz ( December 1 1415 - May 19, 1480) also known as Joannes Ioannes or Johannes Longinus or Dlugossius The Battle of Legnica (Bitwa pod Legnicą also known as the Battle of Liegnitz (Schlacht von Liegnitz or Battle of Wahlstatt (Schlacht bei Wahlstatt was

Rediscovery

During the Renaissance, people again considered using chemical warfare. The Renaissance (from French Renaissance, meaning "rebirth" Italian: Rinascimento, from re- "again" and nascere One of the earliest such references is from Leonardo da Vinci, who proposed a powder of sulfide of arsenic and verdigris in the 15th century:

throw poison in the form of powder upon galleys. Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci ( April 15 1452 – May 2 1519 was an Italian Polymath, having been a scientist Mathematician, Engineer Verdigris is the common name for the Green coating or Patina formed when Copper, Brass or Bronze is weathered and exposed to Chalk, fine sulfide of arsenic, and powdered verdegris may be thrown among enemy ships by means of small mangonels, and all those who, as they breathe, inhale the powder into their lungs will become asphyxiated. A mangonel was a type of Catapult or Siege machine used in the medieval period to throw projectiles at a castle 's walls

It is unknown whether this powder was ever actually used.

In the 17th century during sieges, armies attempted to start fires by launching incendiary shells filled with sulphur, tallow, rosin, turpentine, saltpeter, and/or antimony. Incendiary devices or incendiary bombs are Bombs designed to start Fires or destroy sensitive equipment using materials such as Napalm, Thermite Artillery (from French artillerie) is a military Combat Arm which employs any apparātus machine Sulfur or sulphur (ˈsʌlfɚ see spelling below) is the Chemical element that has the Atomic number 16 Tallow is a rendered form of Beef or Mutton Fat, processed from Suet. Rosin, formerly called colophony or Greek pitch ( Pix græca) is a solid form of Resin obtained from Pines and some other Plants Turpentine (also called spirit of turpentine oil of turpentine wood turpentine gum turpentine is a fluid obtained by the Distillation of Resin obtained from trees Potassium nitrate is a Chemical compound with the Chemical formula K[[Nitrogen N]] O 3 Antimony (IPA (Received Pronunciation, /ˈæntɪmoʊni/ (US is a Chemical element with the symbol Sb (stibium meaning "mark" and Even when fires were not started, the resulting smoke and fumes provided a considerable distraction. Although their primary function was never abandoned, a variety of fills for shells were developed to maximize the effects of the smoke.

In 1672, during his siege of the city of Groningen, Christoph Bernhard van Galen, the Bishop of Münster, employed several different explosive and incendiary devices, some of which had a fill that included belladonna, intended to produce toxic fumes. Groningen is the capital city of the province of Groningen in the Netherlands. The Bishopric of Münster was an ecclesiastical principality in the Holy Roman Empire, located in the northern part of today's North Rhine-Westphalia and western Just three years later, August 27, 1675, the French and the Germans concluded the Strasbourg Agreement, which included an article banning the use of "perfidious and odious" toxic devices. Events 479 BC - Greco-Persian Wars: Persian forces led by Mardonius are routed by Pausanias, the Spartan This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The Strasbourg Agreement of 1675 is the first international agreement banning the use of Chemical weapons The treaty was signed between France and the

In 1854, Lyon Playfair, a British chemist, proposed a cacodyl cyanide artillery shell for use against enemy ships as way to solve the stalemate during the siege of Sevastopol. Lyon Playfair 1st Baron Playfair, GCB, PC, FRS ( May 1, 1818 &ndash May 29, 1898) was a Scottish The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A blood agent or cyanogen agent is a Chemical compound, carried by the blood for distribution through the body Sevastopol ( see pronunciation below) is a port city in Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea Peninsula The proposal was backed by Admiral Thomas Cochrane of the Royal Navy. Admiral Lord Sir Thomas Alexander Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald, Marquês do Maranhão GCB, RN (14 December The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) It was considered by the Prime Minister, Lord Palmerston, but the British Ordnance Department rejected the proposal as "as bad a mode of warfare as poisoning the wells of the enemy. "Lord Palmerston" and "Henry Temple" redirect here " Playfair’s response was used to justify chemical warfare into the next century:

There was no sense in this objection. It is considered a legitimate mode of warfare to fill shells with molten metal which scatters among the enemy, and produced the most frightful modes of death. Why a poisonous vapor which would kill men without suffering is to be considered illegitimate warfare is incomprehensible. War is destruction, and the more destructive it can be made with the least suffering the sooner will be ended that barbarous method of protecting national rights. No doubt in time chemistry will be used to lessen the suffering of combatants, and even of criminals condemned to death.

Later, during the American Civil War, New York school teacher John Doughty proposed the offensive use of chlorine gas, delivered by filling a 10 inch (254 millimeter) artillery shell with 2 to 3 quarts (2 to 3 liters) of liquid chlorine, which could produce many cubic feet (a few cubic meters) of chlorine gas. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Chlorine (ˈklɔriːn from the Greek word 'χλωρóς' ( khlôros, meaning 'pale green' is the Chemical element with Atomic number 17 and Inches redirects here To see the Les Savy Fav album see Inches. The quart is an imperial and US customary unit of Volume equal to a quarter of a Gallon. The litre or liter (see spelling differences) is a unit of Volume. Doughty’s plan was apparently never acted on, as it was probably presented to Brigadier General James Wolfe Ripley, Chief of Ordnance, who was described as being congenitally immune to new ideas. James Wolfe Ripley ( December 10, 1794 &ndash March 16, 1870) was an American soldier serving as a brigadier general in

A general concern over the use of poison gas manifested itself in 1899 at the Hague Conference with a proposal prohibiting shells filled with asphyxiating gas. The Hague Conventions were international treaties negotiated at the First and Second Peace Conferences at The Hague, Netherlands in 1899 and The proposal was passed, despite a single dissenting vote from the United States. The American representative, Navy Captain Alfred Thayer Mahan, justified voting against the measure on the grounds that "the inventiveness of Americans should not be restricted in the development of new weapons. Alfred Thayer Mahan (September 27 1840–December 1 1914 was a United States Navy Flag officer, geostrategist, and educator "

World War I

Main article: Poison gas in World War I

The Hague Declaration of 1899 and the Hague Convention of 1907 forbade the use of "poison or poisonous weapons" in warfare, yet more than 124,000 tons of gas were produced by the end of World War I. The use of poison gas in World War I was a major military innovation The French were the first to use chemical weapons during the First World War, using tear gas. Legal residents and citizens To be French according to the first article of the Constitution is to be a citizen of France regardless of one's origin race or religion ( The German's first use of chemical weapons were shells containing xylyl bromide that were fired at the Russians near the town of Bolimów, Poland in January 1915. Bolimów is a Village in Skierniewice County, Łódź Voivodeship, in central Poland. ^[11] The first full-scale deployment of chemical warfare agents was during World War I, originating in the Second Battle of Ypres, April 22, 1915, when the Germans attacked French, Canadian and Algerian troops with chlorine gas. The use of poison gas in World War I was a major military innovation The Second Battle of Ypres was the first time Germany used poison gas on a large scale on the Western Front in World War I and the first time Events 1500 - Portuguese Navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral becomes the first European to sight Brazil. Year 1915 ( MCMXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Algeria ( ar [[Arabic]] الجزائر, Al Jaza'ir ælʤæˈzæːʔir Amazigh: ⴷⵥⴰⵢⴻⵔ Dzayer) officially the People's Chlorine (ˈklɔriːn from the Greek word 'χλωρóς' ( khlôros, meaning 'pale green' is the Chemical element with Atomic number 17 and Deaths were light, though casualties relatively heavy. A total 50,965 tons of pulmonary, lachrymatory, and vesicant agents were deployed by both sides of the conflict, including chlorine, phosgene and mustard gas. Chlorine (ˈklɔriːn from the Greek word 'χλωρóς' ( khlôros, meaning 'pale green' is the Chemical element with Atomic number 17 and Phosgene is the Chemical compound with the formula COCl2 This colorless gas gained infamy as a Chemical weapon during World War I The sulfur mustards, of which mustard gas ( Bis (2-chloroethyl sulfide is a member are a class of related Cytotoxic, Vesicant Chemical Official figures declare about 1,176,500 non-fatal casualties and 85,000 fatalities directly caused by chemical warfare agents during the course of the war. ^[12]

To this day unexploded WWI-era chemical ammunition is still frequently uncovered when the ground is dug in former battle or depot areas and continues to pose a threat to the civilian population in Belgium and France and less commonly in other countries. The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those The French and Belgian governments have had to launch special programs for treating discovered ammunition.

After the war, most of the unused German chemical warfare agents were dumped into the Baltic Sea, a common disposal method among all the participants in several bodies of water. The Baltic Sea is a Brackish inland sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N Latitude and from 20°E to 26°E Longitude. Over time, the salt water causes the shell casings to corrode, and mustard gas occasionally leaks from these containers and washes onto shore as a wax-like solid resembling ambergris. The sulfur mustards, of which mustard gas ( Bis (2-chloroethyl sulfide is a member are a class of related Cytotoxic, Vesicant Chemical Ambergris ( Ambra grisea, Ambre gris, ambergrease, or grey Amber) is a solid waxy flammable substance of a dull gray or blackish Even in this solidified form, the agent is active enough to cause severe contact burns to anybody coming into contact with it.

Interwar years

After World War I chemical agents were occasionally used to subdue populations and suppress rebellion.

Following the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in 1917, the Ottoman government collapsed completely, and the former empire was divided amongst the victorious powers in the Treaty of Sèvres. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish The Treaty of Sèvres ( 10 August 1920) was the Peace treaty between the Ottoman Empire and Allies at the end of World War The British occupied Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq) and established a colonial government. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Mesopotamia (from the Greek meaning "land between the rivers" is an area geographically located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers largely corresponding For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. See Colony and Colonization for examples of colonialism which do not refer to Western colonialism

In 1920, the Arab and Kurdish people of Mesopotamia revolted against the British occupation, which cost the British dearly. The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding Mesopotamia (from the Greek meaning "land between the rivers" is an area geographically located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers largely corresponding The Iraqi revolt against the British started in Baghdad in the summer of 1920 with mass demonstrations of both Sunni and Shia, including protests As the Mesopotamian resistance gained strength, the British resorted to increasingly repressive measures. Much speculation was made about aerial bombardment of major cities with gas in Mesopotamia, with Winston Churchill, then-Secretary of State at the British War Office, arguing in favor of it. It is suspected by some that the British might have used toxic gas against the Kurds in Mesopotamia, during the Ath Thawra al Iraqiyya al Kubra or Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC, PC (Can ( 30 November 1874 The War Office was a former department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1963 when ^[13] In the 1920s generals reported that poison had never won a battle. The soldiers said they hated it and hated the gas masks. Only the chemists spoke out to say it was a good weapon.

In 1925, sixteen of the world's major nations signed the Geneva Protocol, thereby pledging never to use gas in warfare again. The Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating Poisonous or other Gases and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare, usually called the Geneva Protocol Notably, in the United States, the Protocol languished in the Senate until 1975, when it was finally ratified. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives

The Soviet Union also employed poison gas on its own people in 1921 during peasant Tambov Rebellion. The Tambov Rebellion of 1919&ndash1921 was one of the largest and best organized peasant rebellions against the Bolshevik regime during the Russian Civil War An order signed by military commanders Tukhachevsky and Vladimir Antonov-Ovseenko stipulated: "The forests where the bandits are hiding are to be cleared by the use of poison gas. Mikhail Nikolayevich Tukhachevsky (Михаи́л Никола́евич Тухаче́вский Michał Tuchaczewski ( &ndash June 12, 1937) was a Vladimir Alexandrovich Antonov-Ovseenko (actual surname Ovseenko) (Владимир Александрович Антонов(-Овсеенко Володимир Антонов-Овсєєнко This must be carefully calculated, so that the layer of gas penetrates the forests and kills everyone hiding there. "^[14]

During the Rif War in Spanish Morocco in 1921–1927, combined Spanish and French forces dropped mustard gas bombs in an attempt to put down the Berber rebellion. The Rif War of 1920, also called the Second Moroccan War, was fought between Spain (later assisted by France) and the Moroccan Rif Spanish protectorate of Morocco (حماية إسبانيا في المغرب (Protectorado español de Marruecos was the area of Morocco under colonial rule by the Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. (See also: Chemical weapons in the Rif War)

In 1935 Fascist Italy used mustard gas during the invasion of Ethiopia in the Second Italo-Abyssinian War. During the Third Rif War in Spanish Morocco between 1921 and 1927 the Spanish Army of Africa dropped Chemical warfare agents in an attempt to put down the Fascism is a totalitarian nationalist and corporatist ideology Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest The sulfur mustards, of which mustard gas ( Bis (2-chloroethyl sulfide is a member are a class of related Cytotoxic, Vesicant Chemical NOTE This intro is the result of careful NPOV work Please do not make potentially controversial edits to it without first discussing on the talk page See also First Italo-Ethiopian War. The Second Italo–Abyssinian War (also referred to as the Second Italo-Ethiopian War) was a Ignoring the Geneva Protocol, which it signed seven years earlier, the Italian military dropped mustard gas in bombs, sprayed it from airplanes, and spread it in powdered form on the ground. The Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating Poisonous or other Gases and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare, usually called the Geneva Protocol 15,000 chemical casualties were reported, mostly from mustard gas.

World War II

Despite article 171 of the Versailles Peace Treaty and a resolution adopted against Japan by the League of nations on 14 May 1938, the Imperial Japanese Army frequently used chemical weapons. The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. The League of Nations was an International organization founded as a result of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919–1920 The Imperial Japanese Army ( IJA) ( Kyūjitai: 大日本帝國陸軍 Shinjitai: ja 大日本帝国陸軍 Romaji: Dai-Nippon Teikoku Because of fear of retaliation however, those weapons were never used against Occidentals but against other Orientals judged "inferior" by the imperial propaganda. According to historians Yoshiaki Yoshimi and Seiya Matsuno, the chemical weapons were authorized by specific orders given by emperor Showa himself, transmitted by the chief of staff of the army. (1946-)is a professor of modern Japanese history at Chuo University in Tokyo also known as, (April 29 1901 – January 7 1989 was the 124th Emperor of Japan according to the traditional order reigning from December 25 1926 until his death The as part of the Supreme War Council was established in 1893 to coordinate efforts between the Imperial Japanese Army and Imperial Japanese Navy during wartime For example, the Emperor authorized the use of toxic gas on 375 separate occasions during the battle of Wuhan from August to October 1938. The Battle of Wuhan ( popularly known to Chinese as the Defense of Wuhan ( and to the Japanese as the Invasion of Wuhan ( Japanese ^[15] They were also profusely used during the invasion of Changde. The Changde chemical weapon attack refers to the use of chemical and biological weapons by Japan during the Battle of Changde in the Those orders were transmitted either by prince Kotohito Kan'in or general Hajime Sugiyama ^[16]. was the 6th head of a cadet branch the Japanese imperial family, and a career army officer who served as Chief of the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff from 1931 to ( 1 January 1880 - 12 September 1945) was a field marshal who served as successively as chief of the Army General Staff, and

The Imperial Japanese Army used mustard gas and the recently-developed blister agent Lewisite against Chinese troops and guerillas. The Imperial Japanese Army ( IJA) ( Kyūjitai: 大日本帝國陸軍 Shinjitai: ja 大日本帝国陸軍 Romaji: Dai-Nippon Teikoku The sulfur mustards, of which mustard gas ( Bis (2-chloroethyl sulfide is a member are a class of related Cytotoxic, Vesicant Chemical A blister agent (also known as a vesicant) is a chemical compound that causes severe skin eye and mucosal pain and irritation Lewisite is a Chemical compound from a chemical family called Arsines While it is colorless and odorless when pure Lewisite is usually found as an oily yellow or China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Experiments involving chemical weapons were conducted on live prisoners (Unit 731 and Unit 516). was a covert biological and Chemical warfare research and development unit of the Imperial Japanese Army that undertook lethal human experimentation during Unit 516 was a top secret Japanese Chemical weapons facility operated by the Kempeitai, in Qiqihar, Manchukuo. The Japanese also carried chemical weapons as they swept through South East Asia towards Australia. Some of these items were captured and analysed by the Allies. Greatly concerned, Australia covertly imported 1,000,000 chemical weapons from the United Kingdom from 1942 onwards^[17][2][3] [4][5][6]. As of 2005, 60 years after the end of the war, canisters that were abandoned by Japan in their hasty retreat are still being dug up in construction sites, causing injuries and allegedly even deaths. The Second Sino-Japanese War ( July 7, 1937 to September 9, 1945) was a major war fought between the Republic of China and the

During World War II, chemical warfare was revolutionized by Nazi Germany's accidental discovery of the nerve agents tabun and sarin by Gerhard Schrader, a chemist of IG Farben. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers Nerve agents (also being referred to as nerve gases, though these chemicals are liquid at room temperature are a class of Phosphorus -containing organic chemicals Effects of overexposure The exact symptoms of overexposure are similar to those created by all Nerve agents Tabun like all nerve agents is toxic even in minute doses Sarin, also known by its NATO designation of GB, is an extremely toxic substance whose sole application is as a Nerve agent. Dr Gerhard Schrader ( 25 February 1903 &ndash1990 was a German chemist specializing in the discovery of new insecticides hoping to make progress in the IG Farben (short for Interessen-Gemeinschaft Farbenindustrie AG, "syndicate of dyestuff corporations" and also called I The nerve agent soman was discovered by Nobel Prize laureate Richard Kuhn and his collaborator Konrad Henkel at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg in spring of 1944. Alternative names Soman is occasionally referred to by names other than soman or GD: Phosphonofluoridic acid methyl- 1 2 2-trimethylpropyl ester ^[18][19] The Nazis developed and manufactured large quantities of several agents, but chemical warfare was not extensively used by either side though chemical troops were set up (in Germany since 1934) and delivery technology was actively developed. Recovered Nazi documents suggest that German intelligence incorrectly thought that the Allies also knew of these compounds, interpreting their lack of mention in the Allies' scientific journals as evidence that information about them was being suppressed. The Abwehr was a German intelligence organization from 1921 to 1944 In general allies are people groups or nations that have joined together in an association for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose Germany ultimately decided not to use the new nerve agents, fearing a potentially devastating Allied retaliatory nerve agent deployment. Fisk, Robert (December 30, 2000). "Poison gas from Germany". Independent.  

William L. Shirer, in The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, writes that the British high command considered the use of chemical weapons as a last-ditch defensive measure in the event of a Nazi invasion of Britain. William Lawrence Shirer ( February 23, 1904 – December 28, 1993) was an American journalist and historian

On the night of December 2, 1943, German Ju 88 bombers attacked the port of Bari in Southern Italy, sinking several American ships — among them SS John Harvey, which was carrying mustard gas intended for use in retaliation by the Allies if German forces initiated gas warfare. Events 1409 - The University of Leipzig opens 1755 - The second Eddystone Lighthouse is destroyed by fire Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The Air Raid on Bari was an air attack on Allied forces and shipping in Bari, Italy by Nazi German Bombers on December 2 Bari ( Barium in Latin, Bàrion or Vàrion in Greek, Bare in Neapolitan Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest The John Harvey was a US World War II Liberty Ship carrying a secret cargo of Mustard gas, whose sinking by German planes in December The presence of the gas was highly classified, and authorities ashore had no knowledge of it — which increased the number of fatalities, since physicians, who had no idea that they were dealing with the effects of mustard gas, prescribed treatment improper for those suffering from exposure and immersion.

The whole affair was kept secret at the time and for many years after the war (in the opinion of some, there was a deliberate and systematic cover-up). According to the U. S. military account, "Sixty-nine deaths were attributed in whole or in part to the mustard gas, most of them American merchant seamen"^[20] out of 628 mustard gas military casualties. ^[21] The large number of civilian casualties among the Italian population were not recorded. Part of the confusion and controversy derives from the fact that the German attack was highly destructive and lethal in itself, also apart from the accidental additional effects of the gas (it was nicknamed "The Little Pearl Harbor"), and attribution of the causes of death between the gas and other causes is far from easy. ^[22][23]

Rick Atkinson, in his book The Day of Battle, describes the intelligence that prompted Allied leaders to deploy mustard gas to Italy. Rick Atkinson (born 1952 in Munich) is an American Journalist and Author whose contributions led to four Pulitzer Prizes Atkinson This included Italian intelligence that Adolf Hitler had threatened to use gas against Italy if Italy changed sides and prisoner of war interrogations suggesting that preparations were being made to use a "new, egregiously potent gas" if the war turned decisively against Germany. Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately Atkinson concludes that "No commander in 1943 could be cavalier about a manifest threat by Germany to use gas. "

The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Amin al-Husayni, the senior Islamic religious authority of the Palestinian Arabs and ally of Adolf Hitler was accused of sponsoring an unsuccessful chemical warfare assault on the Jewish community in Tel-Aviv during 1944 by The David S. This page is about the title and persons carrying the title For the former Grand Mufti of Jerusalem (from 1921-1948 see Mohammad Amin al-Husayni Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the Mohammad Amin al-Husayni (محمد أمين الحسيني properly transliterated al-Husseini, 1895 / 1897 - July 4, 1974) a member Palestinian people or Palestinians ( الشعب الفلسطيني, ash-sha`b al-filasTīni; الفلسطينيون, al-filasTīnīyyūn Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately Tel Aviv-Yafo (תֵּל ־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ تل أبيب Tal ʾAbīb) (usually Tel Aviv) is the second-largest city in Israel Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies. Allegations suggest that five parachutists were supplied with maps of Tel Aviv, canisters of a German–manufactured "fine white powder," and instructions from the Mufti to dump chemicals into the Tel Aviv water system. Tel Aviv-Yafo (תֵּל ־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ تل أبيب Tal ʾAbīb) (usually Tel Aviv) is the second-largest city in Israel District police commander Fayiz Bey Idrissi later recalled, "The laboratory report stated that each container held enough poison to kill 25,000 people, and there were at least ten containers. "^[24]

Cold War

After World War II, the Allies recovered German artillery shells containing the three German nerve agents of the day (tabun, sarin, and soman), prompting further research into nerve agents by all of the former Allies. In general allies are people groups or nations that have joined together in an association for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose Effects of overexposure The exact symptoms of overexposure are similar to those created by all Nerve agents Tabun like all nerve agents is toxic even in minute doses Sarin, also known by its NATO designation of GB, is an extremely toxic substance whose sole application is as a Nerve agent. Alternative names Soman is occasionally referred to by names other than soman or GD: Phosphonofluoridic acid methyl- 1 2 2-trimethylpropyl ester Nerve agents (also being referred to as nerve gases, though these chemicals are liquid at room temperature are a class of Phosphorus -containing organic chemicals Although the threat of global thermonuclear war was foremost in the minds of most during the Cold War, both the Soviet and Western governments put enormous resources into developing chemical and biological weapons. In Physics and Nuclear chemistry, nuclear fusion is the process by which multiple- like charged atomic nuclei join together to form a heavier nucleus Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991

Developments by the Western governments

In 1952, researchers in Porton Down, England, invented the VX nerve agent but soon abandoned the project. Porton Down is a UK government and military Science park. It is situated slightly northeast of Porton near Salisbury in Wiltshire, England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland VX (S--O-ethyl methylphosphonothioate is an extremely toxic substance whose sole application is as a Nerve agent. In 1958 the British government traded their VX technology with the United States in exchange for information on thermonuclear weapons; by 1961 the U. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Nuclear weapon designs are physical chemical and engineering arrangements that cause the physics package of a nuclear weapon to detonate S. was producing large amounts of VX and performing its own nerve agent research. This research produced at least three more agents; the four agents (VE, VG, VM, VX) are collectively known as the "V-Series" class of nerve agents. VE (S-(Diethylaminoethyl O-ethyl ethylphosphonothioate is a "V-series" Nerve agent closely related to the better-known VX nerve agent. VG (OO-Diethyl-S- phosphorothioate (also called Amiton or Tetram) is a "V-series" Nerve agent chemically similar to the better-known VM ( Edemo) is a "V-series" Nerve agent closely related to the better-known VX nerve agent.

Also in 1952 the U.S. Army patented a process for the "Preparation of Toxic Ricin", publishing a method of producing this powerful toxin. The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities. Ricin (ˈraɪ sɨn is a Protein Toxin that is extracted from the castor bean ( Ricinus communis) A toxin ( Greek:, toxikon, lit (poison for use on arrows is a Poisonous substance produced by living cells or organisms that is active at very low

During the 1960s, the U. S. explored the use of anticholinergic deleriant incapacitating agents. The term incapacitating agent is defined by the US Department of Defense as "An agent that produces temporary Physiological or mental One of these agents, assigned the weapon designation BZ, was allegedly used experimentally in the Vietnam War. "QNB" redirects here For the spoof Amateur radio Q code, see QNB (amateur radio. The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia These allegations inspired the 1990 fictional film Jacob's Ladder. Jacob's Ladder is a 1990 Psychological horror Film directed by Adrian Lyne, based on a Screenplay by Bruce Joel Rubin

Between 1967 and 1968, the U. S. decided to dispose of obsolete chemical weapons in an operation called Operation CHASE, which stood for "cut holes and sink 'em. Operation CHASE (Cut Holes and Sink 'Em was a United States Department of Defense program that involved the disposal of unwanted munitions at sea from May 1964 into the early " Several shiploads of chemical and conventional weapons were put aboard old Liberty ships and sunk at sea.

In 1969, 23 U. S. servicemen and one U. S. civilian stationed in Okinawa, Japan, were exposed to low levels of the nerve agent sarin while repainting the depots' buildings. is one of Japan 's southern prefectures, and consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over 1000 km long which extends southwest from Kyūshū For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. The weapons had been kept secret from Japan, sparking a furor in that country and an international incident. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. These munitions were moved in 1971 to Johnston Atoll under Operation Red Hat. Johnston Atoll is a 130 km² Atoll in the North Pacific Ocean at, about 1400 kilometers (750  nm) west of Hawaii. Operation Red Hat was a US military action taking place in 1971 which involved the movement of Chemical warfare Munitions from Okinawa

A UN working group began work on chemical disarmament in 1980. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security Working Group can mean Working group, an interdisciplinary group of researchers or Working Group (dogs, kennel club designation for On April 4, 1984, U. Events 1581 - Francis Drake completes a circumnavigation of the world and is knighted by Elizabeth I. Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) S. President Ronald Reagan called for an international ban on chemical weapons. U. S. President George H.W. Bush and Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev signed a bilateral treaty on June 1, 1990, to end chemical weapon production and start destroying each of their nation's stockpiles. George Herbert Walker Bush (born June 12 1924 served as the forty-first President of the United States from 1989 to 1993 The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev ( Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachyov;; born 2 March 1931 in Privolnoye Stavropol Krai) is a Russian politician A Treaty is an agreement under International law entered into by actors in international law namely States and International organizations. Events 193 - Roman Emperor Didius Julianus is Assassinated 987 - Hugh Capet is elected Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) The multilateral Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) was signed in 1993 and entered into force (EIF) in 1997. The Chemical Weapons Convention ( CWC) is an Arms control agreement which outlaws the production stockpiling and use of chemical weapons Its full name is

In December, 2001, the United States Department of Health and Human Services, CDC, NIOSH, National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL), along with the U. S. Army Research, Development Engineering Command Edgewood Chemical/Biological Center (ECBC), and the U. S. Department of Commerce National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) published the first of six technical performance standards and test procedures designed to evaluate and certify respirators intended for use by civilian emergency responders to a chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear weapon release, detonation, or terrorism incident. To date NIOSH/NPPTL has published six new respirator performance standards based on a tiered approach that relies on traditional industrial respirator certification policy, next generation emergency response respirator performance requirements, and special live chemical warfare agent testing requirements of the classes of respirators identified to offer respiratory protection against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) agent inhalation hazards. These CBRN respirators are commonly known as open-circuit self-contained breathing apparatus (CBRN SCBA), air-purifying respirator (CBRN APR), air-purifying escape respirator (CBRN APER), self-contained escape respirator (CBRN SCER) and loose or tight fitting powered air-purifying respirators (CBRN PAPR). Current NIOSH-approved/certified CBRN respirator concept standards and test procedures can be found at the webpage: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/standardsdev/cbrn/

United States Senate Report

A 1994 United States Senate Report, entitled "Is military research hazardous to veterans health? Lessons spanning a half century,"^[25] detailed the United States Department of Defense's practice of experimenting on animal and human subjects, often without their knowledge or consent. The United States Department of Defense ( DOD or DoD) is the federal department charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government This included:

• Approximately 60,000 [US] military personnel were used as human subjects in the 1940s to test the chemical agents mustard gas and lewisite. The sulfur mustards, of which mustard gas ( Bis (2-chloroethyl sulfide is a member are a class of related Cytotoxic, Vesicant Chemical Lewisite is a Chemical compound from a chemical family called Arsines While it is colorless and odorless when pure Lewisite is usually found as an oily yellow or "Mustard" section,^[25]
• Between the 1950s through the 1970s, at least 2,200 military personnel were subjected to various biological agents, referred to as Operation Whitecoat. Operation Whitecoat was the name given to a secret operation carried out by the US Army during the period 1954-1973 which included conducting medical experiments on volunteers Unlike most of the studies discussed in this report, Operation Whitecoat was truly voluntary. "Seventh" section,^[25]
• Between 1951 and 1969, Dugway Proving Ground was the site of testing for various chemical and biological agents, including an open air aerodynamic dissemination test in 1968 that accidentally killed, on neighboring farms, approximately 6,400 sheep by an unspecified nerve agent. Dugway Proving Ground ( DPG) is a US Army facility located approximately 85 miles (140 km southwest of Salt Lake City Utah in southern Tooele County The Dugway sheep incident, also known as the Skull Valley sheep kill, was a 1968 sheep kill that has been connected to United States Army chemical and biological warfare Nerve agents (also being referred to as nerve gases, though these chemicals are liquid at room temperature are a class of Phosphorus -containing organic chemicals "Dugway" section,^[25]

Developments by the Soviet government

Due to the secrecy of the Soviet Union's government, very little information was available about the direction and progress of the Soviet chemical weapons until relatively recently. After the fall of the Soviet Union, Russian chemist Vil Mirzayanov published articles revealing illegal chemical weapons experimentation in Russia. Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending In 1993, Mirzayanov was imprisoned and fired from his job at the State Research Institute of Organic Chemistry and Technology, where he had worked for 26 years. In March 1994, after a major campaign by U. S. scientists on his behalf, Mirzayanov was released. ^[26]

Among the information related by Vil Mirzayanov was the direction of Soviet research into the development of even more toxic nerve agents, which saw most of its success during the mid-1980s. Several highly toxic agents were developed during this period; the only unclassified information regarding these agents is that they are known in the open literature only as "Foliant" agents (named after the program under which they were developed) and by various code designations, such as A-230 and A-232. ^[27]

According to Mirzayanov, the Soviets also developed agents that were safer to handle, leading to the development of the binary weapons, in which precursors for the nerve agents are mixed in a munition to produce the agent just prior to its use. Binary chemical weapons or munitions are Chemical weapons wherein the Toxic agent is not contained within the weapon in its active state but in the form Because the precursors are generally significantly less hazardous than the agents themselves, this technique makes handling and transporting the munitions a great deal simpler. Additionally, precursors to the agents are usually much easier to stabilize than the agents themselves, so this technique also made it possible to increase the shelf life of the agents a great deal. Shelf life is that length of time that Food, drink Medicine and other perishable items are given before they are considered unsuitable for sale or During the 1980s and 1990s, binary versions of several Soviet agents were developed and are designated as "Novichok" agents (after the Russian word for "newcomer"). Novichok (Russian новичок: "Newcomer" is a series of Nerve agents that were developed by the Soviet Union in the 1970s and 1980s and ^[28] Together with Lev Fedorov, he told the secret Novichok story exposed in the newspaper Moscow News. The Moscow News, which began publication in 1930 is Russia ’s oldest English-language publication Newspaper. ^[29]

Iran-Iraq War

Chemical weapons which had been delivered to Saddam Hussein killed and injured numerous Iranian and Iraqis. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. Chemical warfare involves using the toxic properties of Chemical substances to kill injure or incapacitate an enemy. Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti ( Arabic: ar صدام حسين عبد المجيد التكريتي --> April 28 1937 &ndash December 30 The Iranian people are a collection of Ethnic groups defined along linguistic lines as speaking Iranian languages. Background Iraq was known in the west as Mesopotamia until the 20th century According to Iraqi documents, assistance in developing chemical weapons was obtained from firms in many countries, including the United States, West Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France and China. Chemical warfare involves using the toxic properties of Chemical substances to kill injure or incapacitate an enemy. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the West Germany ( Inf German: Westdeutschland or West-Deutschland) was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany ( The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National ^[30]

The Iran-Iraq War began in 1980 when Iraq attacked Iran. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Early in the conflict, Iraq began to employ mustard gas and tabun delivered by bombs dropped from airplanes; approximately 5% of all Iranian casualties are directly attributable to the use of these agents.

About 100,000 Iranian soldiers were victims of Iraq's chemical attacks. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. Many were hit by mustard gas. The official estimate does not include the civilian population contaminated in bordering towns or the children and relatives of veterans, many of whom have developed blood, lung and skin complications, according to the Organization for Veterans. Nerve gas agents killed about 20,000 Iranian soldiers immediately, according to official reports. Of the 80,000 survivors, some 5,000 seek medical treatment regularly and about 1,000 are still hospitalized with severe, chronic conditions. ^[31][32][33] Iraq also targeted Iranian civilians with chemical weapons. Many thousands were killed in attacks on populations in villages and towns, as well as front-line hospitals. Many still suffer from the severe effects.

Despite the removal of Saddam and his regime by Coalition forces, there is deep resentment and anger in Iran that it was Western companies based in the Netherlands, West Germany, France, and the U. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. S. that helped Iraq develop its chemical weapons arsenal in the first place, and that the world did nothing to punish Iraq for its use of chemical weapons throughout the war. ^[34]

Shortly before war ended in 1988, the Iraqi Kurdish village of Halabja was exposed to multiple chemical agents, killing about 5,000 of the town's 50,000 residents. Halabja ( Kurdish: هه‌ڵه‌بجه or Helepçe) is a Kurdish town in a majority Kurdish area of Iraq about northeast of After the incident, traces of mustard gas and the nerve agents sarin, tabun and VX were discovered. While it appears that Iraqi government forces are to blame, some debate continues over the question of whether Iraq was really the responsible party, and whether this was a deliberate or accidental act. (see Halabja poison gas attack)

During the Persian Gulf War in 1991, Coalition forces began a ground war in Iraq. The Halabja poison gas attack occurred in the period March 16 – 17, 1988, during the Iran-Iraq War. Despite the fact that they did possess chemical weapons, Iraq did not use any chemical agents against coalition forces. The commander of the Allied Forces, Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, suggested this may have been due to Iraqi fear of retaliation with nuclear weapons. General H Norman Schwarzkopf (also known as '''"Stormin' Norman"''' and '''"The Bear"''') (b A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from Nuclear reactions either fission or a combination of fission and fusion.

Falklands War

Technically, the employment of tear gas by Argentine forces during the 1982 invasion of the Falkland Islands constitutes chemical warfare. A lachrymatory agent or lachrymator (from lacrima meaning "a tear " in Latin) (commonly referred to as tear gas) is a For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. On 2 April 1982 Argentine forces mounted amphibious landings of the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas following the civilian occupation of South Georgia on However, the tear gas grenades were employed as nonlethal weapons to avoid British casualties. (In the hope that Britain would more easily accept the loss of territory in the conflict) The barrack buildings the weapons were used on proved to be deserted in any case.

Terrorism

For many terrorist organizations, chemical weapons might be considered an ideal choice for a mode of attack, if they are available: they are cheap, relatively accessible, and easy to transport. Terrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion A skilled chemist can readily synthesize most chemical agents if the precursors are available.

The earliest successful use of chemical agents in a non-combat setting was in 1946, motivated by a desire to obtain revenge on Germans for the Holocaust. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The Holocaust (from the Greek el ''ὁλόκαυστον'' (el-Latn holókauston holos, "completely" and kaustos, "burnt" also known as Three members of a Jewish group calling themselves Dahm Y'Israel Nokeam ("Avenging Israel's Blood") hid in a bakery in the Stalag 13 prison camp near Nuremberg, Germany, where several thousand SS troops were being detained. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ The ( German for "Protective Squadron" abbreviated SS - or ( Runic)- was a major Nazi organization under Adolf Hitler and the The three applied an arsenic-containing mixture to loaves of bread, sickening more than 2,000 prisoners, of whom more than 200 required hospitalization.

In July 1974, a group calling themselves the Aliens of America successfully firebombed the houses of a judge, two police commissioners, and one of the commissioner’s cars, burned down two apartment buildings, and bombed the Pan Am Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport, killing three people and injuring eight. Los Angeles International Airport is the primary Airport serving Los Angeles, California, the second-most populated metropolitan area of The organization, which turned out to be a single resident alien named Muharem Kurbegovic, claimed to have developed and possessed a supply of sarin, as well as 4 unique nerve agents named AA1, AA2, AA3, and AA4S. Although no agents were found at the time he was arrested in August 1974, he had reportedly acquired "all but one" of the ingredients required to produce a nerve agent. A search of his apartment turned up a variety of materials, including precursors for phosgene and a drum containing 25 pounds of sodium cyanide. Phosgene is the Chemical compound with the formula COCl2 This colorless gas gained infamy as a Chemical weapon during World War I Sodium cyanide is the Inorganic compound with the formula NaCN ^[35]

The first successful use of chemical agents by terrorists against a general civilian population was on March 20, 1995. Events 1600 - The Linköping Bloodbath takes place on Maundy Thursday in Linköping, Sweden. Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 Aum Shinrikyo, an apocalyptic group based in Japan that believed it necessary to destroy the planet, released sarin into the Tokyo subway system killing 12 and injuring over 5,000. Aum Shinrikyo, now known as Aleph, is a Japanese new religious movement organization For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. The Sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway, usually referred to in the Japanese media as the, was an act of Domestic terrorism perpetrated by members of Aum The group had attempted biological and chemical attacks on at least 10 prior occasions, but managed to affect only cult members. The group did manage to successfully release sarin outside an apartment building in Matsumoto in June 1994; this use was directed at a few specific individuals living in the building and was not an attack on the general population.

In 2001, after carrying out the attacks in New York City on September 11, the organization Al Qaeda announced that they were attempting to acquire radiological, biological and chemical weapons. The City of New York Events 9 - The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ends 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul Al-Qaeda, alternatively spelled al-Qaida, al-Qa`ida or al-Qa`idah, ( Arabic:; ar-Latn ''al-qāʿidah'' Translation: The This threat was lent a great deal of credibility when a large archive of videotapes was obtained by the cable television network CNN in August 2002 showing, among other things, the killing of three dogs by an apparent nerve agent. Cable News Network, usually referred to by its Initialism CNN, is a major English language Television network founded in 1980 by Ted Turner ^[36]

On October 26, 2002, Russian special forces used a chemical agent (presumably KOLOKOL-1, an aerosolized fentanyl derivative), as a precursor to an assault on Chechen terrorists, ending the Moscow theater hostage crisis. Events 740 - An Earthquake strikes Constantinople, causing much damage and death See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Russian special purpose regiments or Spetsnaz, Specnaz (Войска спец иального наз начения ( спецназ KOLOKOL-1 (Russian Колокол, eng bell) is an opiate-derived Incapacitating agent. Technically an aerosol is a suspension of fine solid particles or liquid droplets in a gas Fentanyl is one of the most powerful Opioid Analgesics with a potency approximately 81 times that of Morphine. The Chechen Republic (ˈʧɛʧɨn rɪˈpʌblɨk Чече́нская Респу́блика Chechenskaya Respublika; Нохчийн Республика Noxçiyn Respublika The Moscow theater hostage crisis, also known as the 2002 Nord-Ost siege, was the seizure of a crowded Moscow Theatre on October 23 All 42 of the terrorists and 120 of the hostages were killed during the raid; all but one hostage, who was killed, died from the effects of the agent.

In early 2007 multiple terrorist bombings have been reported in Iraq using chlorine gas. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. These attacks have wounded or sickened more than 350 people. See also Iraq War Chlorine bombings in Iraq began as early as October 2006 when insurgents in Al Anbar province started using Chlorine gas in conjunction Reportedly the bombers are affiliated with Al-Qaeda in Iraq^[37] and have used bombs of various sizes up to chlorine tanker trucks. ^[38] United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the attacks as, "clearly intended to cause panic and instability in the country. "^[39]

See also

• Agent Orange
• Area denial weapons
• Biological warfare
• Chemical Ali
• Chemical Weapons Convention
• Exotic pollution
• List of chemical warfare agents
• List of environment topics
• Pollution
• Saint Julien Memorial
• Sardasht (A town attacked with chemical weapons during the Iran-Iraq war. Agent Orange is the code name for a powerful Herbicide and Defoliant used by the U Area denial weapons are used to prevent an adversary from occupying or traversing an area of land Biological warfare (BW — known as a germ warfare, biological weapons and bioweaponry — is the use of any Pathogen ( Bacterium Ali Hassan Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti (علي حسن عبد المجيد التكريتي, born 1941 is a former Ba'athist Iraqi Defense Minister, The Chemical Weapons Convention ( CWC) is an Arms control agreement which outlaws the production stockpiling and use of chemical weapons Its full name is Exotic pollution is a general definition that includes attacks involving nuclear, chemical, or biological agents intended to cause harm or contaminate and A Chemical weapon agent (CWA is a Chemical substance whose toxic properties are used to kill injure or incapacitate The Natural environment, commonly referred to simply as the environment, is all living and non-living things that occur naturally on Earth or some part Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into an environment that causes instability disorder harm or discomfort to the physical systems or living organisms they are in Saint Julien Wood is a section of forested land in Belgium, near Langemark at the north east of the Ypres Salient. Sardasht (in Kurdish and Persian: سردشت (Also Zardasht زردشت is a city in Northwestern Iran. )
• Stink bomb
• USAMRICD
• Weapons of mass destruction
• Zyklon B

Further reading

• Leo P. A stink bomb or stinkbomb is a device designed to create an unpleasant smell. The United States Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense (USAMRICD is a Military Research institute located at Aberdeen Proving Ground, A weapon of mass destruction ( WMD) is a weapon which can kill large numbers of humans and/or cause great damage to man-made structures (e Zyklon B (tsykloːn ˈbeː also spelled Cyclon B or Brophy and George J. B. Fisher; The Chemical Warfare Service: Organizing for War Office of the Chief of Military History, 1959; L. P. Brophy, W. D. Miles and C. C. Cochrane, The Chemical Warfare Service: From Laboratory to Field (1959); and B. E. Kleber and D. Birdsell, The Chemical Warfare Service in Combat (1966). official US history;
• Gordon M. Burck and Charles C. Flowerree; International Handbook on Chemical Weapons Proliferation 1991
• L. F. Haber. The Poisonous Cloud: Chemical Warfare in the First World War Oxford University Press: 1986
• James W. Hammond Jr. ; Poison Gas: The Myths Versus Reality Greenwood Press, 1999
• Benoit Morel and Kyle Olson; Shadows and Substance: The Chemical Weapons Convention Westview Press, 1993
• Jonathan B. Tucker. Chemical Warfare from World War I to Al-Qaeda (2006)

Notes

References

• CBWInfo. com (2001). A Brief History of Chemical and Biological Weapons: Ancient Times to the 19th Century. Retrieved Nov. 24, 2004.
• Chomsky, Noam (Mar. 4, 2001). Prospects for Peace in the Middle East, page 2. Lecture.
• Cordette, Jessica, MPH(c) (2003). Chemical Weapons of Mass Destruction. Retrieved Nov. 29, 2004.
• Croddy, Eric (2001). Chemical and Biological Warfare. Copernicus. ISBN 0-387-95076-1.  
• Smart, Jeffery K. , M. A. (1997). History of Biological and Chemical Warfare. Retrieved Nov. 24, 2004.
• United States Senate, 103d Congress, 2d Session. (May 25, 1994). The Riegle Report. Retrieved Nov. 6, 2004.
• Gerard J Fitzgerald. American Journal of Public Health. Washington: Apr 2008. Vol. 98, Iss. 4; p. 611

External links

• ATSDR Case Studies in Environmental Medicine: Cholinesterase Inhibitors, Including Pesticides and Chemical Warfare Nerve Agents U. S. Department of Health and Human Services
• Russian Biological and Chemical Weapons, about the danger posed by non-state weapons transfers
• Gaddum Papers at the Royal Society
• Chemical Weapons stored in the United States
• [7] The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons OPCW
• [8] Chemical Warfare in Australia
• "'War of Nerves': A History of Chemical Weapons" (interview with Jonathan Tucker from National Public Radio Talk of the Nation program, May 8, 2006

The United States Department of Health and Human Services ( HHS) is a Cabinet department of the United States government with the goal of protecting Talk of the Nation is a Talk radio program based in the United States, produced by National Public Radio, and is broadcast nationally from 2

---

© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic