Why was the poison gas important in world war 1?

Answer 1

During World War I there were basically two types of combat gases used by both the Germans and the Western Allies. Disabling chemicals were the first ones used, in 1914, and consisted mainly of tear-gas and mustard gas. Tear gas was a simple tear-inducing irritant and produced almost no noticeable effect when used both by the French and by the Germans; in any case it would only cause mild irritation of the retina and hinder a soldier rather than disable him. Mustard gas, on the other hand was used through almost the entire war, although its impact was noticeable only in 1914 before stronger chemicals were used and better counter-measures were employed. Mustard gas was an irritant agent for the nasal mucous membrane and the esophagus - the effects produced were chocking sensations, severe running nose, breathing difficulties and in few cases asphyxiation, but most likely produced by allergic reactions.

The other class of chemicals used was lethal agents, such as phosgene and chlorine. Chlorine was the first one used, employed by the Germans in 1915 during the battle of Ypres against the British trenches. Because the Hague Treaty of 1899 forbade chemical agents to be fired at the adversary by means of shelled ammunition or bombs, the Germans deployed the chlorine gas from a large number of cylinders which simply projected the gas towards the British lines, carried by wind. The advantage in using gas this way was that it formed into a huge cloud that would engulf whole lines of trenches and affect the highest number of victims, however the drawback was that it prevented a higher concentration needed by chlorine in order to be deadly and it depended on the direction of the wind. Chlorine, if in lower concentration acted as a powerful irritant and damaged soft tissue (nose, eyes, and throat) and the lungs, potentially cousin asphyxiation, in high enough concentration it damaged the lungs by forming hydrochloric acid when in contact with the water inside the lungs. The acid would gradually dissolve the lung tissue and lead to death, if death did not occur first by asphyxiation. Chlorine proved to be also a very effective psychological weapon and may have actually done more damage that way.

Answer 2

The Benefits of both gases were that you could kill a huge amount of soldiers. Also no matter how well an enemy was dug in the trenches the poison gas would seep into wherever an enemy were hiding and poison them.