Observe English schoolchildren practicing using gas masks in case of a chemical attack amid World War II
The gas mask became a part of modern warfare with the introduction of chemical weapons in World War I. With the growth of total warfare and the targeting of civilians by air forces during World War II, the gas mask became a familiar part of daily life during wartime. In this video, English schoolchildren practice putting on and breathing through gas masks.
Public Domain
-
© American Chemical Society (A Britannica Publishing Partner)Learn about the development of chemical warfare during World War I.
-
World War I is remembered for its terrible combination of technological ingenuity and strategic indecisiveness. The growth of army sizes, and the introduction of new weapons like long-range heavy artillery and chemical gas, turned combat into mechanized carnage on an unprecedented scale. It also made it more essential than ever for armies to gather information about enemy troops and weapons. Stationary balloons were used for observation and artillery spotting as early as the American Civil War but found widespread use in World War I. This video shows the view from a balloon over the Western Front.
-
Video © Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.; video footage US Joint Task Force 132, Operation Ivy; still photos U.S. Air Force.In an operation code-named Mike, the first thermonuclear weapon (hydrogen bomb) was detonated at Enewetak atoll in the Marshall Islands, November 1, 1952.
-
© Civil War Trust (A Britannica Publishing Partner)Learn how gunpowder and muskets were used during the American Revolution.
