Table 1. Examples of biological warfare during the past millennium.
Year | Event |
---|---|
1155 | Emperor Barbarossa poisons water wells with human bodies, Tortona, Italy |
1346 | Mongols catapult bodies of plague victims over the city walls of Caffa, Crimean Peninsula |
1495 | Spanish mix wine with blood of leprosy patients to sell to their French foes, Naples, Italy |
1650 | Polish fire saliva from rabid dogs towards their enemies |
1675 | First deal between German and French forces not to use 'poison bullets' |
1763 | British distribute blankets from smallpox patients to native Americans |
1797 | Napoleon floods the plains around Mantua, Italy, to enhance the spread of malaria |
1863 | Confederates sell clothing from yellow fever and smallpox patients to Union troops, USA |
It is not clear whether any of these attacks caused the spread of disease. In Caffa, the plague might have spread naturally because of the unhygienic conditions in the beleaguered city. Similarly, the smallpox epidemic among Indians could have been caused by contact with settlers. In addition, yellow fever is spread only by infected mosquitoes. During their conquest of South America, the Spanish might also have used smallpox as a weapon. Nevertheless, the unintentional spread of diseases among native Americans killed about 90% of the pre-columbian population (McNeill, 1976).