Chapter 3 – Global Impact of Chemical Warfare Agents Used Before and After 1945

Chemical warfare began with the use of chlorine and other toxic agents during World War I (WWI). The period between WWI and World War II (WWII) can be characterized as the era of synthesis and production of nerve agents in Germany. After WWII, a boom in research and development of new chemical compounds, possibly misused as chemical weapons (CWs) or chemical warfare agents (CWAs), was observed. From these agents, VX and its derivatives were found to be the most horrifying and were contained in the military stocks of different armies in both the Western and Eastern blocks. Simultaneously, new incapacitating agents (BZ) were developed and stockpiled. The use of CWs was limited to local conflicts. The use of nerve agents and yperit against Kurds and in the Iran–Iraq War are considered. After a change in the political situation and final development of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), the threat of CWs was limited to the nonmember State Parties to the CWC and to terroristic groups. In the years 1994 and 1995, a terroristic group used sarin in Japan. Nonterroristic use (use of toxic chemicals against terrorists and civilians) was observed in a Moscow theater (2002) as well as in the main chemical accidents connected with the release of toxic chemicals. Further development is focused on new types of nerve agents and nonlethal weapons. All these examples underline the need for the research and development of protective countermeasures.