THE POPULATION’S PROTECTION FROM CHEMICAL WEAPON DURING THE WORLD WAR I

The world war in 1914-1918 was the first armed conflict with use of toxic agents. In 1915 Germans widely began to use the chemical weapon against Entente’s armies. Not only the soldiers suffered from its effect, but also local people living at the territory of front-line cities. The organization of population’s first chemical protection measures in Russia and France during the World War I are discussed. By analyzing the events of chemical war in the 1914-1918, which are well-known and investigated, the aspects of population’s protection from gas attacks, which are still not investigated, are viewed. By using the archival material, publications of the first decade of XX century, modern researches and foreign resources the basis protection measures of population from toxic substances, which were realized by civilian and military authorities and different organizations are revealed. On the basis of the presented material the conclusion is made that these measures took the important role in the development of the civil defense system in the XX century.

protection of population, chemical weapon, Russia, France, civil defense, World War I