Fritz Haber, Father of Chemical Weapons

It has an interesting combination of dark and light. Fritz Haber, Perhaps it is one of the rare examples that show the bitter side of the truth by leaving its mark on history. You will soon understand why we say so.

“When you look at it, he was a very good person who saved the lives of so many people!” You are very likely to say. But there is something that is overlooked when reading this strange story: in addition to contributing to people’s fight against hunger, development of chemical weapons He also led the way and caused mass graves.

Fritz Haber was born in 1868, as the son of a Jewish family in Germany.

His father was a merchant by profession, but he preferred to major in chemistry. This choice would be a turning point in Haber’s life. One of the pioneers in chemistry in 1886 Robert Bunsen and Carl Liebermann He started working with.

at Friedrich Wilhelm University He completed his doctorate in 1891 and then in 1894 at the University of Karlsruhe He became a professor and concentrated on the synthesis of ammonia in his studies.

Born in Germany to a Jewish family This scientist has managed to upset all humanity with his decisions and practices. The important work he did with Carl Bosch during his professorship was the only thing that made his name written in history.

As a result of these studies He succeeded in converting hydrogen and air nitrogen into ammonium under high heat and pressure. This is where the ropes broke!

During these periods, humanity faced a terrible famine.

It was loudly shouted that people would die due to lack of nitrogenous fertilizer. Hearing this news, Haber set out to implement this invention that transformed his career. He tried to find something that could feed people and prevent them from starving. the leading role nitrogen happened.

Nitrogen is a gas in its own state that does not respond to most chemical reactions. But its importance for our lives is undeniable. Because The proteins in what we eat and even in our body are nitrogenous compounds. In the light of this information, Haber and Bosch began to develop something that would not leave people starving by producing fertilizer.

Calling it Haber-Bosch, the duo greatly facilitated the production of artificial fertilizer.

In 1909, Haber succeeded in building a device that converted nitrogen in the air into ammonia. Bosch also replaced the osmium or uranium catalysts used in the study with aluminum and magnetite oxides because they were inexpensive. Thus, the discovery became usable in the industrial field. Thus Nutrients were also available at more affordable prices.

This invention increased the population of the world in the early 20th century. meet nutritional needs It is considered an important development that triggers a major increase in agricultural productivity.

Haber (1918) and Bosch (1931) were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their achievements.

This invention, which is still used today, plays an important role in food production around the world. A significant part of people’s lives depends on the products produced by this method. to fertilizers is shaped accordingly.

However, Haber’s career It entered a dark turning point with the outbreak of World War I. While the whole world remembers him for his invention, at the beginning of the war he took initiatives that would earn him the title of ‘Father of Chemical Weapons’. That’s why we say about him that the whole world is divided into two.

German War Ministry Haber, known for his patriotism despite rumors that he was appointed head of the chemistry department, renounced Judaism, and became a Lutheran, led a team that discovered chlorine gas. This resulted in thousands of people being killed during the war.

This gas was used as a weapon against humans on battlefields.

During World War I, Haber continued his work in the field of chemical warfare by developing nitrogen-based explosives for the German army. If BASF (the chemical company) had not started producing ammonia at that time, the war would have ended in a few months, or at best GermanyHe could not afford to join the war.

Companies producing ammoniaThey provided explosives by producing nitric acid for ammunition. Did you think that was all there was to it?

As we explained at the beginning, Haber was a very helpful chemist while feeding people. But during this period, the founder of Kaiser Wilhelm Institute converted part of it into a chemical weapons laboratory.

The Germans first used chlorine gas against the French in 1915. As a result chlorine gas filling your lungs The soldiers were doomed to a terrible death.

Haber never admitted that his actions were evil.

Almost as a result of chemical weapons Nearly 100 thousand soldiers diedWhen Germany surrendered, Haber was declared a war criminal. In the process, Haber escaped to Switzerland as a criminal and would die there, too.

came to power in 1933 Hitlerdeveloped a cyanide-based insecticide at the institute. Zyklon B The production of this gas called was a disaster for human history. Zyklon B, as we all know, was the gas used to kill millions of Jews in the Nazi camps.

NewsEven though he was a genius who prevented thousands of people from starving to death, this does not change the fact that he was a criminal who produced the weapons used in the massacres.

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