Geneva Protocol (1925)

The Geneva Protocol strictly prohibits the use of chemical and biological weapons in international armed conflicts. It was drafted in response to the horrific use of poison gases, such as mustard gas and chlorine, during World War I. While it banned the use of these weapons, it did not initially ban their production or stockpiling.

The protocol was officially signed in Geneva on June 17, 1925. However, because many nations attached reservations stating they would only abide by it if their enemies did, it took several years to take full effect. The treaty formally entered into force on February 8, 1928, though universal compliance remained elusive.

No, while many countries signed it, several major powers included significant reservations that effectively rendered it a no first use agreement. For instance, nations like France and the Soviet Union reserved the right to retaliate with chemical weapons if attacked with them first. Furthermore, some countries, like Japan and the United States, did not officially ratify the protocol until decades later.

The 1925 Geneva Protocol only banned the actual use of chemical and biological weapons in war. In contrast, the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention went much further by completely banning the development, production, stockpiling, and transfer of these weapons, mandating their destruction. The later Biological Weapons Convention of 1972 achieved a similar comprehensive ban for biological agents.