2. Weapons of World War I – Part Two Why were some weapons considered unethical during WW I?

3. # 6 The Flame Thrower Developed by the Germans but used later by British & French Spreads fire by launching burning fuel A cylinder containing fuel was carried on your back Advantage: could easily destroy large amounts of territory Disadvantage: unethical to burn people alive, dangerous for the user

4. #7 Grenade Launchers Developed by the French, it was a handheld device that could launch grenades a long distance At first, they were sort of like a sling shot Later, they could be fired out of an air rifle Advantage: launched grenades further than a person could throw Disadvantage: dangerous for user if grenade falls off or gets stuck

5. #8 Trench Mortars A mortar is a short, wide tube that fires a missile/bomb from a steep angle that falls straight down on target Germans used this older weapon, (very surprising) so Allies use it too Advantage: could be fired from inside the trench, took large items Disadvantage: hard to aim, could explode inside trench

6. #9 Poison Gas The French were the first to use tear gas to disable an enemy Later, Germany develops mustard gas & ammonia based poison gas Germany widely used poison gas against allied troops. Later both sides use poison gas as a weapon – everyone needs gas masks Gas caused choking, blindness, severe blisters and death Advantage: fairly undetectable, enemy doesn’t see it coming Disadvantage: seen as a very unethical weapon. Treaties were signed after WWI that bans poison gas warfare

7. Nearly 90,000 of the 9.7 million casualties were due to poison gas CountryTotal Casualties Gas Casualties Austria-Hungary1.2 million3,000 British Empire 908,371 8,109 France1.4 million 8,000 Germany1.8 million9,000 Italy650,0004,627 Russia1.7 million56,000 USA116,7081,462 Ottoman Empire800,000 1,000