| Summary/Abstract |
Recent alleged uses of chemical weapons in Syria and Iraq have led to a renewed interest in the topic. The starting point for modern chemical warfare is World War I, of which much has been written. Interestingly, many of the cases of chemical warfare after that war and prior to World War II are not as fully fleshed out as one might expect, since the most recent case was over seventy-five years ago. This study looks at evidence on cases of chemical warfare from 1919 to 1939 to ask what we know about those cases and what remains to be answered. This period, bookended by the birth of modern chemical warfare and the widely noted pattern of non-use during World War II, was a time of uncertainty about whether and how the production and use of chemical weapons might spread. A number of cases, both those generally accepted and those more contentious, are reviewed, and a few common themes are teased out in the final section of the study. In particular, the norm against chemical weapons during these two decades appeared to be limited to the view that states would generally refrain from being the first to use chemical weapons against European, particularly possessor, states, but in other conflicts the employment of such weapons was at least considered, and occasionally carried out. Many information gaps remain, and it is hoped that the descriptions of the cases will encourage others to carry out further research.
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