A Strange and Formidable Weapon: British Responses to World War I Poison Gas (Studies in War, Society, and the Military)

The advent of poison gas in World War I shocked Britons at all levels of society, yet by the end of the conflict their nation was a leader in chemical warfare. Although never used on the home front, poison gas affected almost every segment of British society physically, mentally, or emotionally, proving to be an armament of total war. Through cartoons, military records, novels, treaties, and other sources, Marion Girard examines the varied ways different sectors of British society viewed chemical warfare, from the industrialists who promoted their toxic weapons while maintaining private control of production, to the politicians who used gas while balancing the need for victory with the risk of developing a reputation for barbarity. Although most Britons considered gas a vile weapon and a symptom of the enemy’s inhumanity, many eventually condoned its use. The public debates about the future of gas extended to the interwar years, and evidence reveals that the taboo against poison gas was far from inevitable. A Strange and Formidable Weapon uncovers the complicated history of this weapon of total war and illustrates the widening involvement of society in warfare. (20090401)

The advent of poison gas in World War I shocked Britons at all levels of society, yet by the end of the conflict their nation was a leader in chemical warfare. Although never used on the home front, poison gas affected almost every segment of British society physically, mentally, or emotionally, proving to be an armament of total war. Through cartoons, military records, novels, treaties, and other sources, Marion Girard examines the varied ways different sectors of British society viewed chemical warfare, from the industrialists who promoted their toxic weapons while maintaining private control of production, to the politicians who used gas while balancing the need for victory with the risk of developing a reputation for barbarity. Although most Britons considered gas a vile weapon and a symptom of the enemy’s inhumanity, many eventually condoned its use.

 

The public debates about the future of gas extended to the interwar years, and evidence reveals that the taboo against poison gas was far from inevitable. A Strange and Formidable Weapon uncovers the complicated history of this weapon of total war and illustrates the widening involvement of society in warfare.

Journal of the History of Medicine

"This well-researched study offers a creative and long-overdue interpretation of the subjects of gas and gas warfare in World War I Britain. . . . Girard marshals an impressive variety of evidence to offer interlocking portraits of gas and gas warfare framed by the observations and experiences of a variety of groups."

—Jeffrey S. Reznick, Journal of the History of Medicine

Contents......Page 8 List of Illustrations......Page 9 Acknowledgments......Page 10 Introduction......Page 14 1. The Political Challenge: Descent to Atrocities?......Page 39 2. The Army’s Experience: New Weapons, New Soldiers......Page 64 3. The Scientific Divide: Chemists versus Physicians......Page 89 4. Whose Business Is It?: Dilemmas in the Gas Industry......Page 115 5. Gas as a Symbol: Visual Images of Chemical Weapons in the Popular Press......Page 139 6. The Reestablishment of the Gas Taboo and the Public Debate: Will Gas Destroy the World?......Page 170 Epilogue......Page 204 Abbreviations......Page 213 Notes......Page 214 Bibliography......Page 264 Index......Page 276 The advent of poison gas in World War I shocked Britons at various levels of society, yet by the end of the conflict their nation was a leader in chemical warfare. This work uncovers the complicated history of this weapon of total war and illustrates the widening involvement of society in warfare.