Gas-Masks for War-Dogs

Category

Library Item

Item no

32729

Title

Gas-Masks for War-Dogs: A Chien-De-Liaison in a Poison-Cloud

Description

From the Illustrated London News published January 20th, 1917, page 65. French official photograph. Full title: "Protected (like his masters) against German poison-gas: A French liaison dog going safely through deadly fumes at the Front."

Artist / maker

Unknown

Date

1917

Size

39.6 x 26.7 cm

Type

Press cutting; Reproduction

Location

Reference Library

Poison-gas and chemical weapons debuted during World War One, shocking the world with their terrible and deadly consequences. After his part in the development of the revolutionary Haber-Bosch process, for which he gained scientific prestige, German chemist Fritz Haber was called upon to help his country's war efforts. Haber was asked only to allow Germany to militarise his process of developing nigrates for use in explosives, and as a patriot, Haber agreed.

However, Haber took his scientific knowledge further; he was inarguably the first person to suggest the use of air-dispersed chlorine gas on the battlefields of the First World War, ushering in a new era of warfare. Gas attacks using compounds like tear gas had been in use by the French Army prior to Haber's suggestion, but Haber's chemical attacks were not merely irritant gases, they were fatal clouds that devastated unsuspecting enemy troops. Haber's development of chemical weaponry made poison-gas clouds and gas-masks iconic features of the First World War.

Read history as it happened with free access to the Scotsman Digital Archive.

You can search the entire 1914-19 archives of the Illustrated London News online.

Exhibitions with this item

Other views of this item

Related images

Related subjects

Animals > Mammals > Dogs

Events > Wars > Wars

Events > Wars > World wars

Military > Arms and armament > Gas masks

Places > Europe > France

Plants > Trees > Trees