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Poison Gas in WWI: Impact and Stats

The first major use of poison gas in war was at the Battle of Ypres on April 22, 1915 when Germany released a 5 mile wide cloud of chlorine gas, killing thousands within hours. Within months, all nations were using gas as a weapon. Other major gases included phosgene, which was twice as toxic as chlorine with a delayed effect, and mustard gas which burned skin and could remain potent in the ground for weeks. By the end of the war, over 1 million soldiers were non-fatally gassed and nearly 100,000 died from gas attacks.

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137 views9 pages

Poison Gas in WWI: Impact and Stats

The first major use of poison gas in war was at the Battle of Ypres on April 22, 1915 when Germany released a 5 mile wide cloud of chlorine gas, killing thousands within hours. Within months, all nations were using gas as a weapon. Other major gases included phosgene, which was twice as toxic as chlorine with a delayed effect, and mustard gas which burned skin and could remain potent in the ground for weeks. By the end of the war, over 1 million soldiers were non-fatally gassed and nearly 100,000 died from gas attacks.

Uploaded by

Jayson
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Poison Gas

THE GREAT WAR


91,198 Dead From Gas
Dead from gas attack….
What was the first major use?
• First use was at
Battle of Ypres on
April 22, 1915.
• Germans released
a 5 mile wide
cloud of chlorine
gas
• Within months all
nations using gas
as a weapon
What was Chlorine Gas?
• Enters lungs or eyes
and mixes with
moisture to create
hydrochloric acid.
• Inhalation destroys
lungs within
seconds.
• Slow death by
suffocating.
• If not killed, lung and
eye damage
expected.
What was the protection against
chlorine?
• give soldiers cotton gauze and instruct them
to urinate on it
• Ammonia neutralized the chlorine.
• Difficult to fight while holding gauze over face,
so IN 1915 the first gas masks were given to
troops
What were the other major
gases?
• Phosgene – twice as toxic as chlorine
– less coughing.
– delayed effect
• Mustard Gas
– Burned skin
– Stayed in ground for weeks
What were the Poison Gas Stats?

• Total tons used:


129,000.
• Non-fatal
casualties:
1,205,655.
• Reported Fatal
Cases: 91,198.

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