Chemical and Biological War

Chemical war is a recent development; the first organized lethal chemical attack was launched in 1915 during World War I. To date, there has been no occurrence of biological war at the same level. Today, the threat is increasingly the result of rogue states or nonstate actors using terrorism against civilians or opponents. Chemical and biological agents are classified as weapons of mass destruction (WMD), although they have killed fewer people in war compared with other weapons. Nevertheless, a lack of knowledge about them is a source of ungovernable fear. In war, specific training of the military is essential to allow freedom of action under the threat of an unconventional offensive. In peace, informing civilians and professionals is of paramount importance to identify a risk, ...