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This course surveys the history of chemical weapons from the battlefields of World War I to the metropolitan streets of the 21st century. Emphasis is given to questions of research, development, and regulation. How have scientists participated in the invention and production of novel chemical weapons agents at different times in the past? What challenges have confronted organizations tasked with preventing the development, stockpiling, and use of these weapons? The course will explore these questions through case studies from both world wars, the Italo-Ethiopian War, the Vietnam War, and recent histories of domestic policing. Please note that this is a reading and writing-intensive seminar course. Students should be prepared to read 80-100 pages per week and write an original research paper by the end of the term.