ABSTRACT
The Germans were the first to use lethal gas in January of 1915. Warfare with deadly gasses had been banned by the Hague treaty, but the Germans believed the gas was an effective way of driving their enemies out of the trenches and decided to try it. Soldiers scrambled in the trenches, grabbing cloth gasmasks and putting them over their heads. Nobody wanted to be caught in the choking, horrible gas. Mustard gas was probably the most effective gas. It was not always fatal, but it caused blisters to form on the soldier’s body, eyes, and inside the bronchial tubes. Soldiers could not fight after a mustard gas attack. The gas also polluted the ground where it was dropped. The oily gas sank to the ground and stayed in the soil for days.
