Abstract
Chemical warfare had played an important enough role in World War I that there was widespread expectation of its use in World War II. Certainly, Germany's army and its chemists had no qualms about adding poison gas to the Third Reich's arsenal. When war began, however, many of the latest chemical warfare agents were not available in deliverable form. The early successes of conventional-war making, combined with an increasing shortage of raw material, led Germany to deemphasize gas warfare even apart from the fear of Allied retaliation that significantly influenced at least the armed forces.
Document Type
Book Chapter
ISBN
9781558624115
Publication Date
2000
Publisher Statement
Copyright © 2000 Gale, A Cengage Company. This book chapter first appeared in History in Dispute: World War II, 1943-1945.
Please note that downloads of the book chapter are for private/personal use only.
Purchase online at Gale, A Cengage Company.
Recommended Citation
Legro, Jeffrey W. "Why Were Chemical Weapons Not Used in World War II?" In History in Dispute: World War II, 1943-1945, volume 5, edited by Dennis Showalter, 101-104. Farmington Hills: St James Press, 2000.