Read more
Originally published in 1985, this book is the result of an exploration of the state papers of the United Kingdom undertaken with the aim of discovering information about the past use of chemical warfare. This information may serve as a point of historical reference in speculation upon the possible nature and consequences of large-scale chemical warfare recurring in Europe. Part I of the monograph concentrates primarily on material documenting the use of chemical weapons in the First and Second World Wars, the impact of this use on the civilian populations of France and Belgium, casualties incurred in the production, research, development, training and deployment of chemical warfare agents, and the attempts made to incorporate chemical weapons into military doctrine and war-preparedness. Part II supplements the citation of documents in Part I. It comprises an ordered bibliography listing not only the location of the records found to be of primary concern to this study, but also the location of other records not cited in Part I which appear to form much of the remainder of the official record of the British CW effort. A list of some of the papers which have not been released comprises the concluding section.
List of contents
Preface. Foreword. A Note on Terminology. Part 1: Review 1. CW in the First World War 2. Aftermath 3. The Second World War 4. Post-war Development of the British CW Programme Part 2: Bibliography Introduction to Bibliography. Bibliography. Retained Files. Tables. Figures.
About the author
Andy Thomas
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
SIPRI is an independent international institute dedicated to research into conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament. Established in 1966, SIPRI provides data, analysis and recommendations, based on open sources, to policymakers, researchers, media and the interested public. Based in Stockholm, SIPRI is regularly ranked among the most respected think tanks worldwide.
Summary
First published in 1985, this book is the result of an exploration of the state papers of the UK with the aim of discovering information about the past use of chemical warfare. This may serve as a point of historical reference in speculation upon the possible nature and consequences of large-scale chemical warfare recurring in Europe.
