Overview

It is the dark side of chemistry. Fritz Haber, who saved the world with fertilizer, also invented Chlorine Gas. Chemical warfare is the use of toxic molecules to kill or incapacitate an enemy. It is cheap, terrifying, and universally banned.

Core Idea

The core idea is Toxicity. Using a chemical that disrupts a vital biological process (breathing, nerve signals) at a molecular level.

Formal Definition

The use of the toxic properties of chemical substances as weapons. Types:

  1. Choking Agents: Chlorine, Phosgene. (Drown you in your own lungs).
  2. Blister Agents: Mustard Gas. (Burn skin and eyes).
  3. Nerve Agents: Sarin, VX. (Paralyze muscles, stop breathing).

Intuition

  • Bullet: A physical object that tears tissue.
  • Chemical Weapon: A molecular wrench thrown into the gears of your body. Sarin jams the “off switch” for your muscles, so they contract until you die.

Examples

  • WWI (Ypres, 1915): The first major use. Germans released Chlorine gas. It looked like a green cloud. Soldiers had no masks; they peed on rags and held them to their faces (ammonia neutralizes chlorine).
  • Tokyo Subway Attack (1995): A cult released Sarin gas in the subway. It showed how dangerous these weapons are in a terrorist scenario.
  • Novichok: A new class of Russian nerve agents used in assassinations. They are designed to be undetectable.

Common Misconceptions

  • They are the deadliest weapons: Actually, they are less effective than bombs for killing large numbers of people because the wind blows them away. Their main power is psychological terror.
  • CWC (Chemical Weapons Convention): The treaty that bans them. 193 countries have signed.
  • Binary Weapons: Two safe chemicals that only become toxic when mixed inside the shell while it is flying. Safer to store.

Applications

  • Tear Gas (CS Gas): A “Lachrymator.” It irritates eyes but doesn’t kill. Used for riot control. It is technically a chemical weapon and is banned in warfare, but legal for police use.

Criticism / Limitations

  • Ethics: It is considered a “war crime” to use them, even if shooting people is legal. It is a taboo.

Further Reading

  • Tucker, Jonathan. War of Nerves: Chemical Warfare from World War I to Al-Qaeda.
  • Harris, Robert. A Higher Form of Killing.