Both chemical and biological weapons are considered “silent weapons of mass destruction.” The distinction between chemical and biological warfare is important because of differences in the scientific research and technological development that have influenced their use in war.
Both chemical and biological weapons are considered “silent weapons of mass destruction.” The distinction between chemical and biological warfare is important because of differences in the scientific research and technological development that have influenced their use in war.
Chemical weapons are inanimate substances, usually gaseous or liquid, that can rapidly cause death or disability. Since antiquity,
Biological weapons are preparations of live microorganisms that can rapidly cause debilitating disease and death in exposed populations. Pathogenic
Three distinct classes of chemical weapons have existed throughout the developmental history of chemical warfare. The first, lethal
There have been at least five generations of chemical weapons since the 1500’s. The first generation predated the development of the large-scale industrial production facilities that facilitated the first concerted use of chemicals during World War I. Second-generation chemical weapons, mostly respiratory impairment gases, were developed for use during World War I. Third-generation agents, mostly nerve gases, were developed after World War I. Fourth-generation agents include psychoactive chemicals capable of inducing hallucinations in exposed individuals. Fifth-generation chemical weapons include new combinations of previously known chemical weapons, combinations of chemical and biological agents, or binary chemical weapons, which are endowed with innovative modes of delivery and action.
The first generation of chemical weapons in the modern era is traced to artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci’s (1452-1519) description of shells loaded with very fine sulfur and arsenic dust. There is no evidence that Leonardo da
The second generation of chemical weapons, developed toward the end of the nineteenth century, includes chlorine and phosgene. Chlorine was discovered and used as a bleaching agent before the end of the eighteenth century, and phosgene was discovered in 1812 as a product of the reaction between chlorine and carbon monoxide. Prohibition of poisonous gases was on the agenda of the first Hague Peace
Although hundreds of chemicals have been tested for military purposes since 1915, fewer than 5 percent of them proved to be of significance to weapons development. The Geneva
British soldiers wear gas masks to protect against respiratory-impairment gases as they wield a Vickers machine gun at the Battle of the Somme, July, 1916.
Nazi Germany’s use of lethal gas and other countries’ capacity to develop and manufacture chemical weapons led to a post-World War II emphasis on defense strategies against chemical weapons. Sophisticated military reconnaissance strategies for chemical weapons included automatic detection systems such as the Nerve Agent Immobilized Enzyme Alarm
Psychoactive
U.N. workers prepare Iraqi rockets, reportedly filled with sarin, a chemical weapon that affects nerve function, for destruction after the Persian Gulf War.
Binary
The development of modern biological weapons occurred in four distinct phases based on scientific advancements in the understanding of infectious diseases and the manipulation of microorganisms and ensuing technological innovations. The “contagion and miasma” phase (300
Until the seventeenth century diseased corpses and carcasses were used as biological weapons by the Greeks, Romans, and Persians to contaminate drinking
The discoveries of French chemist and microbiologist Louis
The Geneva
During the Cold War period, intensive research and development on biological weapons was made. In 1943 the United States had established Fort
The fourth phase of biological weapons development effectively began in 1969, with the invention of recombinant DNA techniques. These new
There were allegations that biological weapons were used during the Iran-Iraq War
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Plague War. Documentary. Public Broadcasting Service/WGBH, 1998. Spying on Saddam: Investigation of the UN’s Dramatic, Thwarted Effort to Uncover Iraq’s Chemical, Biological, and Nuclear Weapons. Documentary. Public Broadcasting Service/WGBH, 1999. Terrorism: Biological Weapons. Documentary and information guide. Emergency Film Group/Detrick Lawrence Corporation, 2000. Terrorism: Chemical Weapons. Documentary and information guide. Emergency Film Group/Detrick Lawrence Corporation, 2000. Toxic Agents: Viruses and Chemical and Biological Warfare. Documentary. History Channel, 2008.
Biology, Chemistry, and War
Swords, Daggers, and Bayonets
Pole Arms
Gunpowder and Explosives
Small Arms and Machine Guns
Artillery
Tanks and Armored Vehicles
Aircraft, Bombs, and Guidance Systems
Rockets, Missiles, and Nuclear Weapons