Chapter 2 - Historical perspective of chemical warfare agents

Abstract

Chemicals have been used in warfare since ancient times. The first large-scale use of chemicals occurred during World War I. Among the agents used were chlorine and sulfur mustard. Many casualties resulted from chemical agent exposure during the war. During the years between the world wars, there was only limited use of chemical weapons in conflict. Both sarin and soman were invented by the Germans shortly before World War II; but, fortunately, the Germans did not use these agents. The subsequent years produced many advances in decontamination, medical treatment, physical protection, and diagnostic identification of chemical agents. More recently, chemical agents were used by Iraq in the 1980s against Iran, a Japanese religious cult released sarin on a Tokyo subway, killing and injuring many people, and various chemical weapons are being used in the current Syrian Civil War. Chemical agents continue to be a concern, particularly the idea that they may be used by terrorists. Chemicals represent a unique force multiplier that cannot be ignored in the 21st century.