In World War I, the Germans attacked the Allied forces with mustard poison gas at the Battle of Iperid. Due to poisoning from the gas, the Allied soldiers had difficulty breathing and collapsed in the trenches and were killed. Mustard gas (also known as Yperite) was first used by the Germans against the Canadians in World War I on July 12, 1917. About 89 Canadian troops died from the poisoning of about 3,500 people.
Of all the toxic chemicals used during the war, it was the most deadly, almost odorless, and took about 12 hours to take effect. Mustard gas was a very potent poisonous gas, so small amounts added to highly explosive artillery shells increased their killing power. Once in the soil, mustard gas remained active for several weeks. The Germans also used bromine and chloropicrin. Exposure to mustard gas corroded the eyes, skin, and lungs, causing blindness, blistering of the skin, and in severe cases, fatal respiratory damage.
In all, the Germans used about 68,000 tons of poison gas against Allied soldiers. The Germans used a total of about 68,000 tons of poison gas against Allied troops, far more than the 36,000 tons used by the French and the 25,000 tons used by the British. An estimated 91,198 soldiers died as a result of the poison gas attacks. In addition, about 1.2 million people were hospitalized. The Russian military suffered more than any other armed force, with some 56,000 dead.
The first stimulant gas attack in World War I was by the French, who fired a tear gas grenade (xylyl bromide) against the Germans in August 1914. In the first unprovoked attack, the Germans dropped chlorine gas on French and Algerian troops at the Second Battle of Ypres on April 22, 1915. Within seconds of inhaling the chlorine gas, the victims had difficulty breathing and suffered asphyxiation attacks. To retaliate, the British dropped chlorine gas on the Germans on September 24, 1915. By 1918, both armies were using filter respirators with charcoal or antidotes.
