Chemical weapon. Types of chemical weapons, history of their origin and destruction

Chemical warfare agents began to be used at the time of man's invention of the onion. And even now, some tribes of Indians living in the selva - the Amazon rainforest, lubricate their arrowheads with curare, a poison extracted from the roots and young shoots of plants in the Amazon River basin.

Curare causes damage to the motor nerves, which in turn leads to complete paralysis of the victim and suffocation.

The first use of toxic substances for military purposes was in 600 BC. e.

By order of the Athenian king Solon, hellebore roots were thrown into the river from which the enemy took water for his soldiers. A few days later, the enemy warriors were overcome by general diarrhea, and they, having lost all combat effectiveness, surrendered to the mercy of the winner.

400 years later, the Carthaginian commander Hamilcar Barca (209 BC), resorting to cunning, went even further. He insisted on supplying wine from mandrake roots and left the camp with his army. The enemy, taking the departure of the Carthaginians as a defeat, celebrated their easy victory with poisoned wine. The Carthaginians, who returned to the camp, only had to finish off the enemy soldiers, who had fallen into a deep sleep.

The Spartans used sulfur and resins as weapons of war. In 431–430 BC. warriors burned these substances under the walls of the cities of Plataea and Belium, hoping to force the population and garrison to surrender.

In the 4th century. AD The Byzantines created the famous “Greek fire”, which they used against Arabs, Slavs and nomadic peoples. The composition of the “Greek fire” included sulfur, saltpeter, antimony sulphide, resin, vegetable oils, some other components unknown to modern chemists. It was impossible to extinguish it with water. Only rags soaked in vinegar or wet sand managed to put out the flames. In addition, the “Greek fire” emitted suffocating sulfur dioxide SO 2.

Much later, in order to more quickly capture the besieged city, they began to contaminate drinking water sources with improvised means - the decaying bodies of killed soldiers and animals. In 1155, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa used a similar technique to poison the water sources of the city of Tortuna. To completely deprive the townspeople of water, tar and sulfur were added to it. This made the water taste bad and undrinkable.

The crusaders also used similar methods in the Middle Ages. They also found ways to smoke the enemy out of cities and fortresses, using arsenic, sulfur, and smoke from burning straw or wood.

Later on creation smoke-forming substances Famous medieval scientists worked, such as Leonardo da Vinci, physician Aristotle Fioravanti, and chemist Rudolf Glauber.

New time

Swedish King Charles XII crossing the river Western Dvina ordered the damp straw to be set on fire, and the smoke reliably hid his troops from the eyes of Russian scouts. And 150 years later, with the smoke of burning straw and damp leaves, the French general Pelissier strangled the rebellious Kabyle tribe in Algeria, who had taken refuge in caves.

Achievements of chemistry in the 19th century. led to the idea that chemical weapons could be used for tactical purposes. England had priority. In 1855 she already had artillery shells, filled with cacodyl oxide and a mixture containing arsenic with a self-igniting substance. It was assumed that if they exploded in the enemy’s camp, such shells would create an arsenic cloud and poison the surrounding air.

The English chemical engineer D. Endonald proposed using sulfur dioxide, a powerful gas, in artillery shells against the defenders of Sevastopol. On August 7, 1855, the British government approved the project. Fortunately, it remained on paper, and the defenders of the hero-fortress avoided the horrors of chemical warfare.

Early 20th century

The creation of mass armies by the beginning of the twentieth century is closely connected with a new round of development chemical weapons. Germany was the first to use chemical warfare agents (CWAs).

With the outbreak of the First World War of 1914–1918. two German Institute- Physico-chemical and named after Kaiser Wilhelm II - began experiments with cacodyl oxide and phosgene:

However, in the laboratory there was powerful explosion, And further work were not carried out.

The city of Leverkusen became the center of chemical agents production. Shrapnel filled with dianisidine sulfate - “shell No. 2” - was first used in the attack on Neuchâtel. The irritant effect of the agent turned out to be weak, and “shell No. 2” was discontinued.

Instead, Dr. F. Haber (future Nobel Prize laureate in chemistry) proposed using chlorine in the form of a gas cloud, which was tested by the Germans at 17:00 on April 22, 1915 in the battle of the Belgian city of Ypres. It was at that hour that the French noticed a greenish-yellow cloud over the German positions, which the wind was blowing in their direction. The soldiers felt a pungent, suffocating odor, their eyes began to burn, and the mucous membranes of their nose and throat began to irritate. In panic, the French troops fled, leaving their positions to the enemy without a fight.

On May 31, 1915, the Germans successfully carried out a gas attack against units of the 2nd Russian Army near Warsaw.

On the night of July 13, 1917, the Germans used “yellow cross” artillery shells filled with a potent chemical agent - bis(2-chloroethyl) sulfide ClCH 2 CH 2 SCH 2 CH 2 Cl, and disabled about 2.5 thousand Entente soldiers. The British dubbed the German agent “mustard gas,” and the French called it “mustard gas,” after the name of the city of Ypres, where it was first used. The result of the use of chemical agents in the First World War was poisoning in varying degrees several million people.

The use of chemical weapons in the First World War outraged the world community so much that, under its pressure, on June 17, 1925 in Geneva, representatives of 49 states signed a protocol “On the prohibition of the use of asphyxiating, poisonous and other similar gases and bacteriological agents in war.”

Some countries have not signed the protocol - Italy, Japan, the USA and others. And those who signed the Geneva Protocol, in particular Germany, did not particularly take it into account. The chemical arms race continued...

Chemical weapon- this is one of the types. Its damaging effect is based on the use of toxic combat weapons chemical substances, which include toxic substances (OS) and toxins that have a damaging effect on the human body and animals, as well as phytotoxicants used for military purposes to destroy vegetation.

Toxic substances, their classification

Toxic substances- these are chemical compounds that have certain toxic and physicochemical properties that provide combat use damage to manpower (people), as well as contamination of air, clothing, equipment and terrain.

Toxic substances form the basis of chemical weapons. They are used to stuff shells, mines, missile warheads, aerial bombs, pourable aircraft devices, smoke bombs, grenades and other chemical munitions and devices. Toxic substances affect the body, penetrating through the respiratory system, skin and wounds. In addition, lesions can occur as a result of consuming contaminated food and water.

Modern toxic substances are classified according to their physiological effect on the body, toxicity (severity of damage), speed of action and persistence.

According to physiological action Toxic substances on the body are divided into six groups:

• nerve agents (they are also called organophosphorus): sarin, soman, vi-gases (VX);
• vesicant action: mustard gas, lewisite;
• general poisonous action: hydrocyanic acid, cyanogen chloride;
• asphyxiating effect: phosgene, diphosgene;
• psychochemical action: Bi-zet (BZ), LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide);
• irritants: CS (CS), adamsite, chloroacetophenone.

By toxicity(severity of injury) modern toxic substances are divided into lethal and temporarily incapacitating. Lethal toxic substances include all substances of the first four listed groups. Temporarily incapacitating substances include substances of the fifth and sixth groups of physiological classification.

By speed toxic substances are divided into fast-acting and slow-acting. TO fast-acting substances include sarin, soman, hydrocyanic acid, cyanogen chloride, ci-es and chloroacetophenone. These substances do not have a period of latent action and in a few minutes lead to death or loss of ability to work (combat capability). Delayed-action substances include vi-gases, mustard gas, lewisite, phosgene, bi-zet. These substances have a period of latent action and lead to damage after some time.

Depending on durability damaging properties After use, toxic substances are divided into persistent and unstable. Persistent toxic substances retain their damaging effect from several hours to several days from the moment of use: these are vi-gases, soman, mustard gas, bi-zet. Unstable toxic substances retain their damaging effect for several tens of minutes: these are hydrocyanic acid, cyanogen chloride, and phosgene.

Toxins as a damaging factor in chemical weapons

Toxins are chemical substances of protein nature of plant, animal or microbial origin that are highly toxic. Typical representatives of this group are butulic toxin - one of the strongest deadly poisons, which is a product of bacterial activity, staphylococcal entsrotoxin, ricin - a toxin of plant origin.

The damaging factor of chemical weapons is the toxic effect on the human and animal body; its quantitative characteristics are concentration and toxodosis.

To defeat various types toxic chemicals called phytotoxicants are intended for vegetation. For peaceful purposes they are used mainly in agriculture for weed control, defoliation of vegetation to speed up fruit ripening and facilitate harvesting (eg cotton). Depending on the nature of the impact on plants and intended purpose phytotoxicants are divided into herbicides, arboricides, alicides, defoliants and desiccants. Herbicides are intended for the destruction of herbaceous vegetation, arboricides - tree and shrub vegetation, algaecides - aquatic vegetation. Defoliants are used to remove leaves from vegetation, while desiccants attack vegetation by drying it out.

When using chemical weapons, just as in an accident with the release of OX B, zones of chemical contamination and foci of chemical damage will be formed (Fig. 1). The chemical contamination zone includes the area where the agent was used and the territory over which a cloud of contaminated air with damaging concentrations has spread. A chemical damage site is a territory within which mass casualties of people, farm animals and plants occurred as a result of the use of chemical weapons.

The characteristics of infection zones and lesions depend on the type of toxic substance, means and methods of application, meteorological conditions. The main features of the source of chemical damage include:

• defeat of people and animals without destruction and damage to buildings, structures, equipment, etc.;
• contamination of economic facilities and residential areas in long time persistent agents;
• defeat of people on large areas for a long time after using the agent;
• defeat not only people in open areas, but also those in leaky shelters and shelters;
• strong moral impact.

Rice. 1. Zone of chemical contamination and foci of chemical damage when using chemical weapons: Av - means of application (aviation); VX - type of substance (vi-gas); 1-3 - lesions

Workers and employees of facilities who find themselves in industrial buildings and structures at the time of a chemical attack are, as a rule, affected by the vapor phase of the agent. Therefore, all work should be carried out in gas masks, and when using nerve agents or blister agents - in skin protection products.

After the First World War, despite large reserves of chemical weapons, they were not widely used for military purposes, much less against civilians. During the Vietnam War, Americans widely used phytotoxicants (to fight guerrillas) of three main formulations: “orange”, “white” and “blue”. IN South Vietnam About 43% of the total area and 44% of the forest area were affected. At the same time, all phytotoxicants turned out to be toxic to both humans and warm-blooded animals. Thus, colossal damage to the environment was caused.

Walked First World War. On the evening of April 22, 1915, opposing German and French troops were near the Belgian city of Ypres. They fought for the city for a long time and to no avail. But that evening the Germans wanted to test a new weapon - poison gas. They brought thousands of cylinders with them, and when the wind blew towards the enemy, they opened the taps, releasing 180 tons of chlorine into the air. The yellowish gas cloud was carried by the wind towards the enemy line.

The panic began. Immersed in the gas cloud, the French soldiers were blind, coughing and suffocating. Three thousand of them died from suffocation, another seven thousand received burns.

"At this point science lost its innocence," says science historian Ernst Peter Fischer. According to him, if before the goal of scientific research was to improve the living conditions of people, now science has created conditions that make it easier to kill a person.

"In war - for the fatherland"

A way to use chlorine for military purposes was developed by the German chemist Fritz Haber. He is considered the first scientist to subordinate scientific knowledge to military needs. Fritz Haber discovered that chlorine is an extremely poisonous gas, which, due to its high density, concentrates low above the ground. He knew: this gas causes severe swelling of the mucous membranes, coughing, suffocation and ultimately leads to death. In addition, the poison was cheap: chlorine is found in waste chemical industry.

“Haber’s motto was “In peace for humanity, in war for the fatherland,” Ernst Peter Fischer quotes the then head of the chemical department of the Prussian War Ministry. “Times were different then. Everyone was trying to find a poison gas that they could use in war.” And only the Germans succeeded."

The attack at Ypres was a war crime - already in 1915. After all, the Hague Convention of 1907 prohibited the use of poison and poisoned weapons for military purposes.

Arms race

The "success" of Fritz Haber's military innovation became contagious, and not only for the Germans. Simultaneously with the war of states, the “war of chemists” began. Scientists were given the task of creating chemical weapons that would be ready for use as soon as possible. “People abroad looked at Haber with envy,” says Ernst Peter Fischer. “Many wanted to have such a scientist in their country.” In 1918 Fritz Haber received Nobel Prize in chemistry. True, not for the discovery of poisonous gas, but for his contribution to the implementation of ammonia synthesis.

The French and British also experimented with poisonous gases. The use of phosgene and mustard gas, often in combination with each other, became widespread in the war. And yet the poisonous gases did not play a role decisive role in the outcome of the war: this weapon could only be used in favorable weather.

Scary mechanism

Nevertheless, a terrible mechanism was launched in the First World War, and Germany became its engine.

The chemist Fritz Haber not only laid the foundation for the use of chlorine for military purposes, but also, thanks to his good connections in the industrial sphere, contributed to the establishment of mass production of these chemical weapons. Thus, the German chemical concern BASF in large quantities produced poisonous substances during the First World War.

After the war, with the creation of the IG Farben concern in 1925, Haber entered his supervisory board. Later, during National Socialism, a subsidiary of IG Farben produced the "Zyklon B" used in gas chambers concentration camps.

Context

Fritz Haber himself could not have foreseen this. "He's a tragic figure," says Fisher. In 1933, Haber, a Jew by birth, emigrated to England, exiled from his country, to the service of which he had put his scientific knowledge.

Red line

In total, more than 90 thousand soldiers died from the use of poisonous gases on the fronts of the First World War. Many died from complications several years after the end of the war. In 1905, members of the League of Nations, which included Germany, pledged under the Geneva Protocol not to use chemical weapons. Meanwhile Scientific research on the use of poisonous gases were continued, mainly under the guise of developing means to combat harmful insects.

"Cyclone B" - hydrocyanic acid - insecticidal agent. "Agent Orange" is a substance used to defoliate plants. Americans used defoliant during the Vietnam War to thin out dense vegetation. The consequence is poisoned soil, numerous diseases and genetic mutations among the population. The latest example of the use of chemical weapons is Syria.

“You can do whatever you want with poisonous gases, but they cannot be used as targeted weapons,” emphasizes science historian Fisher. “Everyone who is nearby becomes victims.” The fact that the use of poisonous gas today is “a red line that cannot be crossed,” he considers correct: “Otherwise the war becomes even more inhumane than it already is.”

Chemical weapon– this is an OM in combination with the means of their application. It is intended for mass destruction people and animals, as well as contamination of the area, weapons, equipment, water and food.

History has preserved many examples of the use of poisons for military purposes. But even occasional use in wars toxic substances, contamination of water sources, abandonment of besieged fortresses poisonous snakes was severely condemned even in the laws of the Roman Empire.

Chemical weapons were first used on the Western Front in Belgium by the Germans against Anglo-French troops on April 22, 1915. In a narrow area (6 km wide), 180 tons of chlorine were released in 5-8 minutes. As a result of the gas attack, about 15 thousand people were defeated, of which over 5 thousand died on the battlefield.

This attack is considered the beginning of chemical warfare; it showed the effectiveness of a new type of weapon when suddenly used massively against unprotected personnel.

A new stage in the development of chemical weapons in Germany began with the adoption of weapons b,b 1 dichlorodiethyl sulfide - a liquid substance with a general toxic and blister effect. It was first used on June 12, 1917 near Ypres in Belgium. Within 4 hours, 50 thousand shells containing 125 tons of this substance were fired at the positions. 2,500 people were defeated. The French called this substance "mustard gas" after its place of application, and the British called it "mustard gas" because of its characteristic odor.

In total, during the First World War, 180,000 tons of various chemical agents were produced, of which about 125,000 tons were used. Combat check passed through at least 45 different chemicals, including 4 blisters, 14 asphyxiants and at least 27 irritants.

Modern chemical weapons have an extremely high lethal effect. For several years, the United States used chemical weapons on a large scale in the war against Vietnam. At the same time, more than 2 million people were affected, vegetation was destroyed on 360 thousand hectares of cultivated land and 0.5 million hectares of forest.

Great importance is given to the development of a new type of chemical weapon - binary chemical munitions intended for massive combat use in various theaters of war.

There are 4 periods in the development of chemical weapons:

I. The First World War and the next decade. Combat agents were obtained that have not lost their significance in our time. These include sulfur mustard, nitrogen mustard, lewisite, phosgene, hydrocyanic acid, cyanogen chloride, adamsite, and chloroacetophenone. The adoption of gas launchers played a certain role in expanding the range of chemical agents used. The first gas launchers with a firing range of 1-3 km. were loaded with mines containing from 2 to 9 kg of suffocating agents. Gas launchers gave the first impetus to the development of artillery means of using chemical agents, which sharply reduced the preparation time for a chemical attack, making it less dependent on meteorological conditions, the use of chemical agents in any states of aggregation. At this time, most countries concluded an interstate agreement, which went down in history as the “Geneva Protocol on the Prohibition of the Use of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or Similar Gases and Bacteriological Agents in War.” The treaty was signed on June 17, 1925, including by a representative of the US government, but it was ratified in this country only in 1975. Naturally, the protocol, due to how long ago it was compiled, does not include agents with nerve-paralytic and psychotomimetic effects, military herbicides and other toxic agents that appeared after 1925. That is why the USSR and the USA entered into an agreement in 1990. agreement on a significant reduction in existing chemical agents reserves. By December 31, 2002, almost 90% of the chemical arsenal must be destroyed in both countries, with no more than 5,000 tons of chemical agents remaining on each side.

II. Thirties - World War II.
In Germany, research was carried out to find highly toxic OPs. The production of FOV was obtained and established - tabun (1936), sarin (1938), soman (1944). In accordance with the Barbarossa plan, preparations were made in Hitler's Reich for chemical warfare. However, Hitler did not dare to use chemical weapons in combat, due to a possible retaliatory chemical attack on the deep rear of the Reich (Berlin) by our aviation.
Tabun, sarin and hydrocyanic acid were used in the death camps for the mass extermination of prisoners.

III. Fifties.
In 1952, mass production of sarin began. In 1958, a highly toxic OPA was synthesized - V-gases (5-7 lethal doses in 1 drop). A study was conducted natural poisons and toxins.

IV. Modern period.
In 1962, a synthetic substance affecting the central nervous system, BZ, was studied. The super-irritating agents CS and CR, which were used in the war in Vietnam and the DPRK, were adopted into service. Toxin has appeared weapon - type chemical weapons based on the use of the damaging properties of toxic substances of protein origin produced by microorganisms, some species of animals and plants (tetroidotoxin - poison of the ball fish, batrachotoxin - poison of the cocoa frog, etc.). Since the early 1980s, large-scale production of binary chemical munitions began.

The basis of the destructive effect of chemical weapons are toxic substances (TS), which have a physiological effect on the human body.

Unlike other weapons, chemical weapons effectively destroy enemy personnel over a large area without destroying materiel. This is a weapon of mass destruction.

Together with the air, toxic substances penetrate into any premises, shelters, military equipment. Lethal effect persists for some time, objects and terrain become infected.

Types of toxic substances

Toxic substances under the shell of chemical munitions are in solid and liquid form.

At the moment of their use, when the shell is destroyed, they come into combat mode:

• vaporous (gaseous);
• aerosol (drizzle, smoke, fog);
• drip-liquid.

Toxic substances are the main damaging factor of chemical weapons.

Characteristics of chemical weapons

These weapons are divided into:

• According to the type of physiological effects of OM on the human body.
• For tactical purposes.
• According to the speed of the onset of impact.
• According to the durability of the agent used.
• By means and methods of use.

Classification according to human exposure:

• Nerve agents. Lethal, fast-acting, persistent. Act on the central nervous system. The purpose of their use is rapid mass incapacitation of personnel with the maximum number of deaths. Substances: sarin, soman, tabun, V-gases.
• Agent of vesicant action. Lethal, slow-acting, persistent. They affect the body through the skin or respiratory system. Substances: mustard gas, lewisite.
• Generally toxic agent. Lethal, fast-acting, unstable. They disrupt the function of the blood to deliver oxygen to the tissues of the body. Substances: hydrocyanic acid and cyanogen chloride.
• Agent with asphyxiating effect. Lethal, slow-acting, unstable. The lungs are affected. Substances: phosgene and diphosgene.
• OM of psychochemical action. Non-lethal. Temporarily affect the central nervous system, affect mental activity, cause temporary blindness, deafness, a sense of fear, and limitation of movement. Substances: inuclidyl-3-benzilate (BZ) and lysergic acid diethylamide.
• Irritant agents (irritants). Non-lethal. They act quickly, but only for a short time. Outside the contaminated area, their effect ceases after a few minutes. These are tear and sneeze-producing substances that irritate the upper respiratory tract and can damage the skin. Substances: CS, CR, DM(adamsite), CN(chloroacetophenone).

Damaging factors of chemical weapons

Toxins are chemical protein substances of animal, plant or microbial origin with high toxicity. Typical representatives: butulic toxin, ricin, staphylococcal entsrotoxin.

Damage factor determined by toxodose and concentration. The zone of chemical contamination can be divided into a focus area (where people are massively affected) and a zone where the contaminated cloud spreads.

First use of chemical weapons

Chemist Fritz Haber was a consultant to the German War Ministry and is called the father of chemical weapons for his work in the development and use of chlorine and other poisonous gases. The government set him the task of creating chemical weapons with irritating and toxic substances. It’s a paradox, but Haber believed that with the help of gas warfare he would save many lives by ending trench warfare.

The history of use begins on April 22, 1915, when the German military first launched a chlorine gas attack. A greenish cloud appeared in front of the French soldiers' trenches, which they watched with curiosity.

When the cloud came close, a sharp smell was felt, and the soldiers’ eyes and nose stung. The fog burned my chest, blinded me, choked me. The smoke moved deeper into the French positions, spreading panic and death, and was followed by German soldiers with bandages on their faces, but they had no one to fight with.

By evening, chemists from other countries figured out what kind of gas it was. It turned out that any country can produce it. Rescue from it turned out to be simple: you need to cover your mouth and nose with a bandage soaked in a soda solution, and plain water on the bandage weakens the effect of chlorine.

After 2 days, the Germans repeated the attack, but the Allied soldiers soaked their clothes and rags in puddles and applied them to their faces. Thanks to this, they survived and remained in position. When the Germans entered the battlefield, the machine guns “spoke” to them.

Chemical weapons of World War I

On May 31, 1915, the first gas attack on the Russians took place. Russian troops mistook the greenish cloud for camouflage and brought even more soldiers to the front line. Soon the trenches were filled with corpses. Even the grass died from the gas.

In June 1915, a new poisonous substance, bromine, began to be used. It was used in projectiles.

In December 1915 - phosgene. It has a hay smell and a lingering effect. Its low cost made it convenient to use. At first they were produced in special cylinders, and by 1916 they began to make shells.

Bandages did not protect against blister gases. It penetrated through clothing and shoes, causing burns on the body. The area remained poisoned for more than a week. This was the king of gases – mustard gas.

Not only the Germans, their opponents also began to produce gas-filled shells. In one of the trenches of the First World War, Adolf Hitler was poisoned by the British.

For the first time, Russia also used these weapons on the battlefields of the First World War.

Chemical weapons of mass destruction

Experiments with chemical weapons took place under the guise of developing insect poisons. Hydrocyanic acid, an insecticidal agent used in the gas chambers of Zyklon B concentration camps.

Agent Orange is a substance used to defoliate vegetation. Used in Vietnam, soil poisoning caused serious illnesses and mutations in the local population.

In 2013, in Syria, in the suburbs of Damascus, a chemical attack residential area - the lives of hundreds of civilians, including many children, were lost. The nerve gas used was most likely sarin.

One of modern options Chemical weapons are binary weapons. It comes in combat readiness eventually chemical reaction after combining two harmless components.

Everyone who falls into the impact zone becomes victims of chemical weapons of mass destruction. Back in 1905, an international agreement on the non-use of chemical weapons was signed. To date, 196 countries around the world have signed up to its ban.

In addition to chemical weapons of mass destruction and biological.

Types of protection

• Collective. A shelter can provide long-term stay for people without personal protective equipment if it is equipped with filter-ventilation kits and is well sealed.
• Individual. Mask, protective clothing and an individual anti-chemical package (PPP) with antidote and liquid for treating clothing and skin lesions.

Prohibited use

Humanity was shocked by the terrible consequences and huge losses of people after the use of weapons of mass destruction. Therefore, in 1928, the Geneva Protocol prohibiting the use of asphyxiating, poisonous or other similar gases and bacteriological agents in war came into force. This protocol prohibits the use of not only chemicals, but also biological weapons. In 1992, another document came into force, the Chemical Weapons Convention. This document complements the Protocol; it speaks not only of a ban on the production and use, but also of the destruction of all chemical weapons. The implementation of this document is controlled by a specially created committee at the UN. But not all states signed this document, for example, Egypt, Angola, North Korea, South Sudan. He also did not enter legal force in Israel and Myanmar.