Key Facts

As the stalemate continued generals and politicians looked for ways to use technology to bring about the breakthrough. Technology had caused the stalemate, the combination of barbed wire, the machine gun and heavy artillery and now it would be used to bring about the breakthrough.

The first new weapon was gas . This was first used by the Germans against the Russians at Riga in March 1915. It proved to be very successful and was used the next month at Ypres in Belgium. Again it was successful and a gap of 800 yards was opened up and stability was only restored after several days very bitter and bloody fighting led by Canadian troops. The stalemate had been restored.

A number of gases were used - chlorine, phosgene, and mustard gas. Sometimes it was contained in shells which split open on impact releasing the deadly gas. In other cases it was simply released from gas bottles and the wind was required to blow the gas across No Man's Land. The gases attacked the breathing system, destroyed their lungs and caused at least temporary blindness.

Despite the horror of gas it was quickly dealt with since even the first gas masks used materials easily available in the trenches - cotton gauze and urine, Proper gas masks were quickly developed and were effective if very uncomfortable to wear.

The most dangerous time was when the gas shells first landed and the soldiers had to struggle into their masks. It was at this point that the soldiers were at their most vulnerable. They might not inhale enough gas to kill them but enough to injure and perhaps permanently disable them.

Gas failed because -
a. it was too dependent on the wind direction and if the wind fell or changed direction then failure was likely.

b. gas masks were quickly made and once available proved to be very effective countermeasures.

Read page 39 and answer these questions

What did Anthony Hossack see on April 22nd 1915?

What gas had been released?

What was its impact on allied troops?

Why did gas fail to bring about the breakthrough?