Original image from National Museum of Health and Medicine. Digitally enhanced by rawpixel
The lingering scents of toxic gases and their impacts on various aspects of life in Syria remain evident even now, following 262 instances of chemical weapon use documented by the Chemical Violations Documentation Center in Syria (CVDCS). This brings to mind the historical use of these deadly substances as weapons in wars and battles.
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) states that toxic chemicals have been used as tools of war for thousands of years, whether in poisoned arrows or arsenic smoke. However, these uses had typically limited damage despite being considered excessively cruel and unjustified.
With the evolution of warfare tools, a type of bullet was produced that contained poison, increasing the mortality rate of those injured in wars. This type of bullet was used for several decades, leading to the signing of a treaty in 1675 between Germany and France prohibiting its use.
Nevertheless, the use of chemical weapons was classified as relatively uncommon until World War I, where chemical weapons began to be used on a large scale. This widespread use began on April 22, when German forces targeted the battlefield north of Ypres with 168 tons of chlorine gas.
According to Reuters, this attack resulted in around 5,000 soldiers being affected by gas poisoning, although other sources report higher numbers of asphyxiation cases. The Germans had hoped this attack would force the soldiers to abandon their combat positions to gain control of the area.
By the end of World War I, chemical weapons had claimed the lives of approximately 90,000 people due to toxic gas attacks, in addition to injuring around 1.2 million others. This devastation prompted leaders to move towards banning the use of chemical weapons in warfare.
After lengthy negotiations, the Chemical Weapons Convention was adopted on January 13, 1993, with 130 countries signing the treaty during a three-day conference in Paris, according to the OPCW.
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