Biological warfare facts for kids
Biological warfare (also called germ warfare) is when tiny living things, like microbes or pathogens, are used as a weapon. These tiny living things can make people, animals, or plants sick. When they are used this way, they are called a biological weapon.
Sometimes, very strong poisons (called toxins) that are not alive are used instead. If these non-living poisons are used, it's called chemical warfare. Biological warfare has been used for a very long time in history.
Contents
History of Germ Warfare
People have tried to use diseases as weapons for centuries. One of the earliest examples might be when the Mongols were fighting. Stories say they threw bodies of people who died from the plague over city walls to make their enemies sick.
Early Methods of Attack
Before the 1900s, biological warfare often involved simple methods. These included:
- Putting infectious materials into food or water supplies to make people sick.
- Using sick animals or even dead animals in attacks.
- Spreading diseases using fabrics or clothes that were contaminated with germs.
World War II and Beyond
During the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Japanese army used biological weapons against China. They sometimes dropped infected fleas or contaminated food from airplanes to spread diseases.
After World War II, many countries became worried about these types of weapons. Today, germs that cause diseases like anthrax or smallpox could potentially be used as biological weapons.
Stopping Biological Weapons
To prevent the use of these dangerous weapons, many countries signed an important agreement. The Biological Weapons Convention was signed in 1972. This agreement made it against the law for countries to make or store biological weapons. It was a big step towards making the world safer.
Images for kids
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Shiro Ishii, who led a group that studied biological weapons.
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The original document for the Biological Weapons Convention.
See also
In Spanish: Guerra biológica para niños
