"Cyclone B": history, features, chemical and physical properties

"Cyclone B" is an extremely powerful poison, which is now used in various branches of agricultural production. However, he gained the greatest popularity as a weapon for the mass extermination of people by the Nazis during the Second World War. Since then, this chemical is produced under a different name to avoid terrible associations.

basic information

"Cyclone B" is a unique pesticide. This category of chemicals is usually used in agrarian business. Since the nineteenth century, they have been used to combat pests and parasites. Pesticides kill many dangerous bacteria for food cultures. They can also protect wood from corroding by various insects. "Cyclone B" is made on the basis of hydrocyanic acid.

It itself is found in many plants, industrial gases and even cigarettes. However, in large quantities, acid is extremely dangerous to human health. It is based on hydrogen and cyanide. The latter has active chemical properties. Cyanic acid does not have a color, but has a strong odor. Molecules of poison are lighter than air molecules, due to this the acid is very volatile and quickly moves.

Start of research

The active use of chemical reagents as weapons began during the First World War. Many poisons, such as mustard gas, received their name in honor of the site of the first combat use. After the war, Germany could not have its own armed forces. Therefore, it was decided to send the main forces to research methods of mass destruction of the enemy. The supervisor of these studies was Fritz Haber, who four years earlier received the Nobel Prize. Fritz since 1911 engaged in secret developments under the personal guidance of the Kaiser.

Haber, along with other German chemists, tried to create a new poison that would surpass all existing ones. During the Great War, Germany actively used chlorine. However, it was too heavy and slow. After the first successful attacks, the Allies equipped their advanced units with chemical protection. So the soldiers had time to wear gas masks, as soon as they saw a creeping white cloud. Scientists have considered this deficiency and paid attention to hydrocyanic acid.

Creating a "Cyclone"

Cyanide, which formed the basis of this poison, became very "popular" in Germany at that time. He was found the most diverse applications. Pilots of the Luftwaffe always had an ampoule in the medicine cabinet, so as not to surrender alive. And all prominent figures of the Nazi regime carried such ampoules literally in their teeth by the 1950's. Gaber began to experiment with cyanide and brought out its new properties. So, in the twenty-second year they created "Cyclone B". Its advantage was in the aggregate state. All the existing combat poisons were gaseous, and "Cyclone" was an adsorbent. The gypsum granules were saturated with hydrocyanic acid, then stabilizing substances and methyl ether were added. The granules gave off a toxic, colorless gas for several hours.

"Cyclone B": action on the human body

Poison acts on the human body in different ways, depending on the dosage. In case of defeat in the open air, a lethal outcome can be avoided with the provision of timely medical assistance. Even with severe poisoning, the first signs manifest themselves in fifteen to sixty minutes. This form of poisoning is called slow. Light intoxication suggests nausea, dizziness, an unpleasant aftertaste in the mouth. Strong muscle fatigue leads to severe shortness of breath when performing even minor physical exertion. All symptoms with mild intoxication pass through three days. With the average form of intoxication, the following symptoms are added: hallucinations, frequent loss of consciousness, convulsions, a decrease in heart rate, reddening of skin pigments. Symptoms can last up to a week, with medical intervention you can avoid losing consciousness.

The action of "Cyclon B" in a closed space leads to a lethal outcome. When a large amount of poisonous gas is poisoned, a person develops a lightning-fast form of intoxication. Immediately after the defeat, a person loses consciousness. Then breath and pulse are quickened. Constant cramps almost cease. Breathing stops after a few minutes, and this leads to death.

Application by the Nazis

The action of gas "Cyclone B" in humans was first tested in 1941. In the Auschwitz concentration camp it was used against Soviet prisoners of war and other prisoners. The initiator of poisoning was Karl Fritsch. The gas operated very quickly and did not require special expenses. "Cyclone B" was produced by the German firm "Degesh", which produced chemicals for pest control. The four kilograms of the "Cyclone" are enough to kill thousands of people. This method of killing was approved by Obersturmbannführer SS Rudolf Höss. He personally announced this at the Nuremberg trial of war criminals.

At first it was used only for groups of "suicide bombers". Then the camp doctors began to select prisoners who had been ill for more than four weeks. Also in the gas chambers, the prisoners who were unable to work were killed. The action of the crystals was like the Nazis. In Auschwitz, gas chambers were built, accommodating up to two thousand people at a time. After that, this experience was extended to other concentration camps.

The group "Cyclone B"

Contrasting associations of poison cause interest in it from many radical currents. In particular, the Russian thrash-rock band took the name of poison as a name. The group "Cyclone B" adhered to the right-wing nationalist views. Interest in Nazi aesthetics, most likely, determined the choice of such a name.

The musical group was very popular among nationalists and right-wing skinheads. However, in 2007 it disintegrated. Many songs of the collective are included in the register of extremist materials and are banned. Nevertheless, the group members managed to avoid arrest. In 2016 they announced the creation of a new music project. The theme of the songs remains the same, but the name has been changed to "Opposition."