The German army was the first to use weapons of mass destruction, both biological and chemical, during the First World War, although their attacks with biological weapons were on a rather small scale and were not particularly successful: covert operations using both anthrax and glanders ( Table 2) attempted to infect animals directly or to contaminate animal feed in several of their enemy countries ( Wheelis, 1999).

However, although these, as well as later treaties, were all made in good faith, they contained no means of control, and so failed to prevent interested parties from developing and using biological weapons. These dangers were soon recognized, and resulted in two international declarations-in 1874 in Brussels and in 1899 in The Hague-that prohibited the use of poisoned weapons. However, the foundation of microbiology by Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch offered new prospects for those interested in biological weapons because it allowed agents to be chosen and designed on a rational basis.

Man has used poisons for assassination purposes ever since the dawn of civilization, not only against individual enemies but also occasionally against armies ( Table 1). The text puts World War II in context as a series of large regional conflicts that intersected and overlapped, finally emerging as a genuine “world war” with the formal entry of the United States in late 1941.During the, the Japanese army poisoned more than 1,000 water wells in Chinese villages to study cholera and typhus outbreaks The author discusses the Japanese invasion of Manchuria in 1931 and the Korean War (1950-1953) and argues that the core years of the war (1939-1945) cannot be understood without considering the turbulent events that framed them. This comprehensive text clearly shows how in the struggle against the Axis powers, the United States replaced Britain as the global superpower. He also examines the impact of the war on areas of the world that are often neglected in historical accounts, including Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, and the so-called ‘neutral’ countries. The author-a noted expert on the topic-explores the main theaters of the war and discusses the connections between them. Written for academics and students of history, World War II in Global Perspective, 1931-1953 presents a dynamic and global account of the historical events prior to, during, and after World War II. A comprehensive review of World War II that offers a global-level analysis

History of second world war in pdf