Maya Arnold- Poison Gases were the most dangerous weapons used in WWI: 3D Gallery

Maya Arnold WWI Project: Poison Gases

My claim is that poison gases were the most dangerous weapon used in WW1.

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This old newspaper article says that soldiers were knocked unconscious after being stuck in a cloud of gas. Seeing as they were knocked out, they would not being able to defend themselves. This would leave them as sitting ducks for any attack by the opposing force, and therefore supports my claim.

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This image shows a soldier before and after being exposed to mustard gas during the war. Though different gases had different effects, many would leave soldiers permanently disfigured, like in this picture. This supports my claim because not only would gases kill soldiers, but exposure to them would leave them affected for the rest of their lives.

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This picture shows a group of soldiers running through a cloud of poison gas. Unlike bullets, artillery and other weapons at this time, it was impossible to “dodge” gas. This supports my claim because, as shown in this picture, the only way to get past a gas attack was to go through it and expose yourself to the harmful chemicals.

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This image shows a stock of gas shells being stored during WWI. Due to the shape and size of gas shells, soldiers never really knew what type of poison they were dealing with until the attack was happening. This meant they were unable to prepare themselves for the effects of different gases and were going into a situation blind, making this weapon more dangerous than others.

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This image shows a letter from a soldier to his mother during the war. Part of the letter says, "We were in a gas chamber filled with Chlorine gas and Lachrymal or tear gas for about ten minutes. Chlorine gas if inhaled causes bronchitis and consumption. Lachrymal is an irritant causing tears and some times temporary blindness." Not only did poison gases disarm soldiers on the front lines by blinding them and choking them, but they also caused diseases like bronchitis and consumption(also known as tuberculosis), which are more serious and long term ailments. These long term effects make it more dangerous than other weapons of the era.

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This painting by John Singer Sargent titled “Gassed” shows a group of blinded soldiers being led toward a dressing station after a gas attack. As you can see, there are many wounded being cared for, and that does not include any soldiers that were killed during the attack.The massive amount of soldiers that could be injured during a single attack helps to prove that gas was one of the most dangerous weapons of the war.

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A letter from a soldier to his parents was published in this newspaper in 1915. In this letter the writer says,“The night the fun started I got a sniff of poison gas. It makes your eyes water like onions. The next day I felt dopey and thought I had caught a chill, about the third day I had pains around my heart, it felt as if it was going to jump out of my insides. I was not feeling well for about a week, but it wasn't serious enough to go to the hospital. I didn't think it was this gas at the time but a boy who came out of the hospital told me it affected him the same way only quite a bit worse as he was closer to the deadly fumes. I was quite a distance away but a light breeze was bringing it in my direction.” This shows that even a small amount of gas that has been carried on the wind could negatively affect a soldier for a week. This meant that soldiers that were miles away from the site where the gas was dropped could have been affected, and even killed based on the amount of gas they inhaled. This supports my claim because the range of this weapon made it much more dangerous than others at the time.

Image #8

This picture shows two soldiers and a donkey wearing gas masks. New vesicant gases, like mustard gas, could seep into soldiers clothes and cause severe blistering. This made gas more dangerous because there was no way for a soldier to protect himself from the effects, even if he had a gas mask. Not only was there no protection, but the blistering and burns caused by the gas could make it nearly impossible for a soldier to return to battle.

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This image shows a sign which states that the area is contaminated after a gas attack. Due to how new this method of warfare was, neither side really new how to handle it and prepare themselves. Citizens had to be warned of the effects and soldiers had to learn how to fight it. This made the weapon much more dangerous because of how unprepared both soldiers and civilians were to deal with the effects.

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Maya Arnold- Poison Gases were the most dangerous weapons used in WWI

Maya Arnold WWI Project: Poison Gases

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