A Strange and Formidable Weapon: British Responses to World War I Poison Gas (Studies in War, Society, and the Military)

Girard PhD, Prof. Marion Leslie

ISBN 10: 0803222238 / ISBN 13: 9780803222236

Published by University of Nebraska Press, 2008

About this Item

About excellent with no marks or DJ splits.

Seller Inventory # SKU1004440

Bibliographic Details

• Title: A Strange and Formidable Weapon: British Responses to World War I Poison Gas (Studies in War, Society, and the Military)
• Publisher: University of Nebraska Press
• Publication Date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0803222238
• ISBN 13: 9780803222236
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: Very Good

About this title

Synopsis

The advent of poison gas in World War I shocked Britons at all levels of society, yet by the end of the conflict their nation was a leader in chemical warfare. Although never used on the home front, poison gas affected almost every segment of British society physically, mentally, or emotionally, proving to be an armament of total war. Through cartoons, military records, novels, treaties, and other sources, Marion Girard examines the varied ways different sectors of British society viewed chemical warfare, from the industrialists who promoted their toxic weapons while maintaining private control of production, to the politicians who used gas while balancing the need for victory with the risk of developing a reputation for barbarity. Although most Britons considered gas a vile weapon and a symptom of the enemy’s inhumanity, many eventually condoned its use.

 

The public debates about the future of gas extended to the interwar years, and evidence reveals that the taboo against poison gas was far from inevitable. A Strange and Formidable Weapon uncovers the complicated history of this weapon of total war and illustrates the widening involvement of society in warfare.

About the Author

Marion Girard is an assistant professor of history at the University of New Hampshire.