Chemistry and Conflict

Catalog description

Chemistry and other sciences have radically changed the conduct of war and mechanisms of human conflict. Using case studies from the Chemical Revolution to present day, this course examines how knowledge of matter altered warfare – in terms of its scale, its boundaries, and its meaning. To this end, we study Antoine Lavoisier’s work with gunpowder in the 18 th century alongside a more famous case of wartime chemistry: Fritz Haber’s development of chemical weapons during World War I. We also study the Manhattan Project, which produced the world’s first atomic bomb in the final days of World War II. Secondly, this course investigates the many legacies of these new weapons. We follow the development of the military-industrial complex, the use of war chemicals as pesticides, and the deployment of Agent Orange in Vietnam. Finally, we examine more recent uses of chemical weapons, including in Japan, Iraq, and Syria. Throughout the course, students will bring knowledge of chemistry to bear on these historical episodes. They will demonstrate how knowledge of key chemical principles – such as atomic structure, bonding, and reactivity – help to contextualize the development of modern war.