Historical Dictionary of Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Warfare

Abstract

In selecting the entries for this volume, attempts have been made to provide an overview of historical, legal, technical, and political aspects of nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) weapons. We have endeavored to maintain a balance within the entries in terms of coverage devoted to noteworthy events, notable individuals, nations, fundamental research, and the testing and fielding of NBC weapon systems. We hope that the dictionary contains information that those who closely follow NBC-related developments will find unusual as well as useful. This work also attempts to provide insight into the behavior and concerns of individuals and organizations. It is hoped that this work will assist readers in gaining an enhanced understanding of how the NBC field has both evolved and remained unchanged over the years. We also hope that it can help to inform consideration of issues of continuing international concern, including determining the purpose for which dual-use/dual-purpose materials, technology, and equipment that can support NBC weapon programs will be used. For example, information is included about the main technological stages necessary to develop a nuclear weapon (e.g., definition of the nuclear fuel cycle, enrichment of nuclear material, fission, fusion, the characteristics of a peaceful nuclear energy program, verification concepts). Future consideration of such issues can be at least partly informed by how they were handled in the past. The country entries contain unavoidable information gaps. This situation is due in part to space constraints in a work such as this one. By necessity, a choice had to be made regarding content, creating certain gaps in coverage. These holes are also a consequence of the fact that most primary-source research in the NBC field has focused on a limited number of states, mainly in the West. To a certain extent, this Western focus reflects the states that have been most active in the NBC fie