What makes things like poisonous gas or some firearms banned? Most importantly, why would nations play by the rules?
Bonus question: what exactly is a war crime and how is it punishable?
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The point of war is to defeat your enemy, not torture them. Generally agreeing not to use unnecessarily cruel weapons goes both ways. You would rather take a bullet than a gas that melts your inside over 3 weeks. Your enemies tend to feel the same.
Also, targeting civilians is frowned upon, and some of the more exotic weapons are harder to contain to your targets.
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