North Russia, Gaza and Barrels

The signing of the armistice marked the conclusion of a chilling chapter in history - the thwarted plot to unleash chemical warfare on a massive scale against Germany. But while these insidious weapons were never deployed against the German forces, they found a grim purpose on another front - the conflict against the Red armies of the Bolsheviks in northern Russia.

Wait, there was a war against Russia? Indeed, there was, though it's a chapter often overlooked. After the November Revolution in 1918, a coalition comprising Britain, France, and the U.S. found themselves embroiled in a little-known war against the emergent Russian State.

Winston Churchill, ever a staunch opponent of the Bolshevik regime, saw in the Russian Revolution not just a political upheaval, but a dire threat to British interests across the globe. Viewing chemical weapons as a tool to combat the Bolshevik forces without the need for vast numbers of troops, Churchill orchestrated a covert operation in Northern Russia.

Initially intended to safeguard British munitions, the mission soon morphed into full-fledged support for the "White" Russian factions, who stood in opposition to the Bolshevik "Reds." In Churchill's eyes, the Bolsheviks posed a greater menace to civilization than even the Germans had.

The logistics of intervention were complex, as troops accustomed to fighting the Germans were reluctant to be redeployed to Russia. Yet, with the promise of poison gas, Churchill found a means to sway opinion. General Ironside, leading British forces in North Russia, eagerly accepted the sinister payload of 50,000 "M devices" along with 10,000 gas masks.

But the Russian terrain posed challenges unfamiliar to the Western Front. Adaptations were necessary to make the poison gas effective in the heavily wooded regions of North Russia. Once modified, these lethal devices became a grim instrument in the battle against Red Army strongholds.

Despite Churchill's fervent advocacy, the intervention in Russia remains a dark footnote in history, overshadowed by the larger conflicts of the era. Yet, it stands as a sobering reminder of the lengths to which nations will go in pursuit of their agendas, and the devastating consequences that can ensue.