Biological Warfare Through the Years

What exactly is biological warfare? A common definition of a biological weapon is any organism found in nature that can be used to injure or kill. And we’re not limited to toxins, bacteria, viruses, or fungi.

Many people mistakenly believe biological warfare is a scourge of modern man that was invented by evil scientists tinkering late into the night in their laboratories. Nope. The concept has been with us for a while. How about some of these for examples?

As far back as 400 BC, Scythian archers had the brilliant idea they could fire infected arrows by dipping the tip in decomposing bodies or a blood and manure mixture. Ancient literature is replete with examples of water supplies contaminated by tossing dead animals into a well.

By 190 BC, Hannibal was kicking Pergamon rear end during a naval battle by heaving earthenware pots full of venomous snakes onto enemy ships. Clever.

During the French and Indian War of the 18th century, British forces gave blankets that had been used by smallpox victims to Native Americans with the intention of spreading an epidemic that would decimate the population. Hideous.

Humanity really hit its stride and ushered in the era of widespread biological weapons when, during World War I, the German Army developed a handful of dandy concoctions – anthrax, glanders, cholera, and wheat fungus. In 1925, the Geneva Protocol was signed by 108 nations who realized that we might be opening a Pandora’s Box with all this deadly  stuff.

Next time, we’ll take a look at how biological agents might be delivered and detected in the modern world. Until then, Jason Hartman reminds you, “Don’t wait to buy real estate; buy real estate and wait.”

The Holistic Survival Team