Figure 1.-- This photograph shows school children in Rome learning to wear gas masks. The British were also producing gas masks, bu the children were not trained to use them until the War began. Mussolini was thinking about war much eralier. The press caption read, "S quickly as they learn reading, writing and arthimatic do these Italian school children learn the proper method of using gas masks in case there is an air bombing attack." The photograph was dated July 11, 1935.

We do not have any informatiom about Italian reserch or production of poson gas. We do know that the Italians used poison gas in the inter-War era. we are not sure if that was World War I stockpiles or if the Ialians began producing poison gas of their own. Italy used poison gas both in the Libyan campaign to supress oppositio in its colony (1920s) and in their invasiion of Ethiopian (1930s). The Libyans an Ethiopins lacked all types of modern eeaponry. Despite an over whealming superiority in conventional weaponry, both the Libyans and Ethiopians resisted abd the Itkains responded with poison gas. The attacks in Libya would have been done with World War I stockpiles, but the 1935-36 attacks in Ethiopia may have been done by more recently produced gas weapons. They used mustard gas, a standard World War I type of poison gas. We see Italian school children being instucted in the use of gas maks, something that was common in Europe during the 1930s. But unlike Britain, gas masks were not issued tomall th children. Images like this were primarily for propaganda purposes.

Created: 3:38 AM 10/4/2024
Last updated: 3:38 AM 10/4/2024