Chemical and flamethrower units of the Russian army of the First World War: genesis and weapons

in this article we will look at the chemical and flamethrower units of the Russian army during the First World War. The problem has not been studied comprehensively before. And all the researchers’ attention was paid to repelling enemy gas attacks. Our goal is to consider chemical and flamethrower units as a tool for active influence on the enemy, that is, a strike weapon of the Russian army. Our article is based primarily on archival documents extracted from the funds of the Russian Military Historical Archive (RSMHA). Memoir sources were also used. The main research methods were historical-archival and historical-systemic. We tried to see the overall picture of the structuring of chemical and flamethrower units of the Russian army during the First World War. Their genesis and weapons are briefly discussed. Particular attention is paid to the development of units and units within the Russian army. And the result of the experience of combating enemy chemical attacks and inflicting one’s own chemical attacks was not only relevant instructions and methodological instructions, but also extensive combat and organizational experience – which was of great practical importance both for the current period and for the subsequent historical era.

химические команды, огнеметные команды, русская армия, Первая мировая война, организация и снаряжение, вооружение, газовая война, химические войска, огнеметы, огнеметные батареи