Page 19 - Chiron Calling Spring 2017

war years. There was a conspicuous absence of use of chemical weapons during WW2, though all major combatant countries had their own stockpiles. Some historians suggest that Hitler did not use chemical weapons, in an offensive capacity at least, due to being affected by mustard gas during his military service in WW1. Apparently the horrors he saw, and experienced, made him decide to never unleash this capability. The answer, while not de nite, is perhaps a little less due to any uncharacteristic feelings of humanity on his part, but rather that it would not introduce any effective advantage as it had before. The use of poison gas would inevitably have been answered in kind and as both sides were potentially evenly matched in both offensive capability and countermeasures, it would have been more a complication than a breakthrough.
So what of the Modern Age? Is there still a requirement for chemical defence, or is it a bygone mode of warfare that has no relevance? It would be hard to argue that chemical weapons have had their day entirely, as despite the signing of the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention which prohibits development, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons and their precursors, just like all rules, it can be broken.
It has been well documented that on 21 August 2013, the nerve agent Sarin was used against civilian populations in Ghouta, Syria, though both the Government and opposition blamed each other for the death toll estimated between 270 and 1700 civilians. There has also been use of chemical weapons by non-state actors, for example in Tokyo in 1995, when members of a cult named Aum Shinrikyo released Sarin gas on the subway system, killing 12 civilians and affecting 5,000 others. The small scale production of highly lethal agents is not technically demanding and could be utilised by State or non-State actors, or even just disgruntled individuals with knowledge of chemistry. The offensive use of chemical weapons thus remains very relevant. There is also the scenario of accidental release. A freight train derailment in 2005, in Graniteville, South Carolina, released 60 tonnes of chlorine gas destined for industrial use, causing the deaths of 9 people and affecting at least 250 people.
The question regarding the future of chemical weapons use, and research against them, should therefore be – can we afford to be complacent? As General John J. Pershing, the US Commander of the American Expeditionary Force in Europe in WW1 so succinctly put it: “Whether or not gas will be employed in future wars is a matter of conjecture. But the effect is so deadly to the unprepared that we can never afford to neglect the question”.
There is so much more background to the drills than “Blot, Bang, Rub”. As with so many military topics, the key to effective counter- CBRN capability is knowledge, training and preparedness.
References:
Heller, Charles E. (1984) Chemical Warfare in World War 1: The American Experience, 1917-1918 (Leavenworth Papers, Number 10). ARMY COMMAND AND GENERAL STAFF COLLEGE FORT LEAVENWORTH KS COMBAT STUDIES INST,.
Duffy, Michael (August 22, 2009). “Weapons of War – Poison Gas”. rstworldwar.com. Retrieved 17-02-2017.
Schneider, Barry R. (2016) Chemical Weapon. “https://www. britannica.com/technology/chemical-weapon” Retrieved 22-02- 2017
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CHIRON CALLING 17