To Haber, a dead soldier was a dead soldier. It didn’t matter how they died. It only mattered that they died. Poison gas worked to the advantage of technologically advanced societies, so why shouldn’t Germany use its assets? “The disapproval that the knight felt for the man with a gun,” said Haber, “is repeated by the soldier who shoots bullets [at] a man with chemical weapons.” Haber’s goal was to turn warfare into a competition among scientists; the winner would make the deadliest poison gases, distribute them most efficiently, and create the best protective gear, including gas masks. “Gas
...more
Spoken like someone who's certain they'll never have to face their own weapon on a battlefield.
