2025/12/29 by Joseph Mellodew · 1 voice
Arts and Humanities · Business, Management and Accounting · Social Sciences · #American History and Culture #Medical History and Innovations #World Wars: History, Literature, and Impact
paper · pdf · doi:10.1080/07292473.2025.2599617
openalex created_date 2025/12/29 · openalex publication_date 2025/12/29 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/23
This article argues that British fighting character was shaped by the use of poisonous gas in the First World War. Despite numerous efforts to the contrary, British soldiers came to see themselves in a vastly different light – a light that was not desirable nor wanted – due to their use of a demonised ‘German’ weapon. This article addresses a gap in the literature and shows that gas should not solely be examined through the lens of suffering or technological development, but also on its wider impacts to character and identity, and the consequences it had for a nation that felt under constant pressure to justify its actions in using this contentious weapon. Official responses shifted from shock and condemnation to acceptance and development.