Chemical Weapons in Post WWI
Chinese troops advancing through gas during the Second Sino-Japanese War
With the war coming to a close, the Germans realized that the Allied forces were much stronger than theirs. However, Germany made one last push with a major offensive in March 1918 when Germany moved to the western front from the east. They brought out automatic weapons and storm troopers, but lost about 600,000 casualties in the process (Blight 12). On the waterfront, German leaders wanted to lead a suicide attack on the British forces. German naval soldiers were not fond of this idea and led a mutiny against their superiors. This led to an economic disaster starting from docks all the way to cities. Germany was on the verge of a full-scale revolution, further aggravated by widespread hunger due to massive food shortages. The frustration with German leaders including the Kaiser led to riots in the streets and more mutinies within the army. On November 11th, 1918 (now known as Armistice or Veterans Day), the fighting of the Great War ended at “the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month”.
The Treaty of Versailles
Soon after, the United States had become an influential power because of their role in the war. In January 1919, President Woodrow Wilson arrived in Paris representing the United States for the Paris Peace Conference determined to help with the reshaping the of the world after the devastating war. He came to Paris with his famous Fourteen Points hoping to turn them into something truly effective. Wilson’s Fourteen Points did not prevail, but his notion of the League of Nations was established with the Treaty of Versailles which officially ended the War between Germany and the Allies. (Blight, 13) On June 28th, 1919 the Treaty was officially signed and the peace was official.
The Treaty of Versailles brought peace to Europe, but punished the nation of Germany in many different ways. The treaty forced Germany to accept the blame for the war, reduced their territory in Europe by almost 10%, and diminished their military forces to only 100,000 troops. The Treaty also put an end to Germany’s ability to use, manufacture or import poisonous gases, thus ending their ability to wage chemical warfare. (Blight, 18)
The Geneva Protocol of 1925
The ending of this terrible use of gas was not limited to the Germans. At the 1925 Geneva Conference for the Supervision of the International Traffic in Arms, the United States took the initiative to prohibit the export and usage of poisonous gas in warfare. The French and Polish suggested this decision and also expanded it to the use of bacteriological warfare. The protocol was ratified by many countries around the world, including the United States, though for some nations involved in the ratification, all bets were off if a nation used chemical warfare after the protocol was established.("www.fas.org") For example, countries such as the United Kingdom and France emphatically stated that they would disobey the protocol and retaliate with chemical weapons if such weapons were ever used against them again. Against the Protocol, chemical weapons were used again, by Italy in the Ethiopian War (and thus not used against Europeans), but the primary intention that they would be banned in Wars fought between ‘traditional’ European powers was realized.("www.fas.org") Overall, after the tragedies of disgust and horror brought upon by the use of chemical weapons in World War I, people realized that the use of this type of weaponry should not be considered a real option ever again. As Franklin D. Roosevelt stated on June 8th, 1943, “Use of such weapons has been outlawed by the general opinion of civilized mankind. This country has not used them, and I hope that we never will be compelled to use them. I state categorically that we shall under no circumstances resort to the use of such weapons unless they are first used by our enemies.” ("www.fas.org")
The Treaty of Versailles
Soon after, the United States had become an influential power because of their role in the war. In January 1919, President Woodrow Wilson arrived in Paris representing the United States for the Paris Peace Conference determined to help with the reshaping the of the world after the devastating war. He came to Paris with his famous Fourteen Points hoping to turn them into something truly effective. Wilson’s Fourteen Points did not prevail, but his notion of the League of Nations was established with the Treaty of Versailles which officially ended the War between Germany and the Allies. (Blight, 13) On June 28th, 1919 the Treaty was officially signed and the peace was official.
The Treaty of Versailles brought peace to Europe, but punished the nation of Germany in many different ways. The treaty forced Germany to accept the blame for the war, reduced their territory in Europe by almost 10%, and diminished their military forces to only 100,000 troops. The Treaty also put an end to Germany’s ability to use, manufacture or import poisonous gases, thus ending their ability to wage chemical warfare. (Blight, 18)
The Geneva Protocol of 1925
The ending of this terrible use of gas was not limited to the Germans. At the 1925 Geneva Conference for the Supervision of the International Traffic in Arms, the United States took the initiative to prohibit the export and usage of poisonous gas in warfare. The French and Polish suggested this decision and also expanded it to the use of bacteriological warfare. The protocol was ratified by many countries around the world, including the United States, though for some nations involved in the ratification, all bets were off if a nation used chemical warfare after the protocol was established.("www.fas.org") For example, countries such as the United Kingdom and France emphatically stated that they would disobey the protocol and retaliate with chemical weapons if such weapons were ever used against them again. Against the Protocol, chemical weapons were used again, by Italy in the Ethiopian War (and thus not used against Europeans), but the primary intention that they would be banned in Wars fought between ‘traditional’ European powers was realized.("www.fas.org") Overall, after the tragedies of disgust and horror brought upon by the use of chemical weapons in World War I, people realized that the use of this type of weaponry should not be considered a real option ever again. As Franklin D. Roosevelt stated on June 8th, 1943, “Use of such weapons has been outlawed by the general opinion of civilized mankind. This country has not used them, and I hope that we never will be compelled to use them. I state categorically that we shall under no circumstances resort to the use of such weapons unless they are first used by our enemies.” ("www.fas.org")