None are weapons on their own, like nuclear material, they become weaponized when they are attached to a delivery system. Substances like sarin gas, mustard gas, and VX are chemical agents. Pathogens like anthrax, Ebola, and smallpox are biological agents. If it’s a non-living compound, it’s chemical. Modern chemical warfare sees its beginnings in these times, and technology has advanced both our understanding of chemical compounds and delivery methods, creating ever more deadly chemical weapons than those of the past.Ĭhemical and biological warfare are often conflated, but the basic difference is simple - if the weapon is a live pathogen like a virus, bacterium, or another living pathogen, it’s biological. In medieval times, rumors were rampant that warring groups would use catapults to hurl infected and rotting corpses across enemy lines, causing disease among their nemeses. In the 14 century BCE, the Hittites sent infected rams to enemy groups to infect and weaken them. Chemical warfare is rooted in the realization that humans can use external compounds and pathogens to cause incapacitation and death in each other. The use of weaponized chemicals is a method that dates back essentially as early as we can trace mankind. Chemical warfare is a tactic that involves the use of a toxic chemical agent against an enemy with the goal of creating large-scale fatalities.
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