The advent of poison gas in World War I shocked Britons at all levels of society, yet by the end of the conflict their nation was a leader in chemical warfare. Although never used on the home front, poison gas affected almost every segment of British society physically, mentally, or emotionally, proving to be an armament of total war. Through cartoons, military records, novels, treaties, and other sources, Marion Girard examines the varies ways different sectors of British society viewed chemical warfare, from the industrialists who promoted their toxic weapons while maintaining private control of production, tot he politicians who used gas while balancing the need for victory with the risk of developing a reputation for barbarity. Although most Britons considered gas a vile weapon and a symptom of the enemy's inhumanity, many eventually condoned its use. -- From the book jacket.

Revision of the author's disseration (Ph. D.)--Yale University, 2002.

The political challenge : descent to atrocities? -- The army's experience : new weapons, new soldiers -- The scientific divide : chemists versus physicians -- Whose business is it? Dilemmas in the gas industry -- Gas as a symbol : visual images of chemical weapons in the popular press -- The reestablishment of the gas taboo and the public debate : will gas destroy the world?