- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- New to this Edition
- Notes on Contributors
- List of Figures
- List of Tables
- List of Boxes
- How to use this Book
- Online Resources
- 1. Introduction: What is Security Studies?
- Part 1 Approaches to Security
- 2. Realism
- 3. Liberalism and Liberal Internationalism
- 4. Historical Materialism
- 5. Peace Studies
- 6. Social Constructivism
- 7. Critical Security Studies: A Schismatic History
- 8. Poststructural Insights: Making Subjects and Objects of Security
- 9. Postcolonialism
- 10. Human Security
- 11. Gender and Security
- 12. Securitization
- Part 2 Deepening and Broadening Security
- 13. Military Security
- 14. Regime Security
- 15. Societal Security
- 16. Environmental Security
- 17. Economic Security
- 18. Globalization, Development, and Security
- Part 3 Traditional and Non-Traditional Security
- 19. Coercive Diplomacy: Countering War-Threatening Crises and Armed Conflicts
- 20. Weapons of Mass Destruction
- 21. Terrorism
- 22. Humanitarian Intervention
- 23. Energy Security
- 24. The Weapons Trade
- 25. Health and Security
- 26. Transnational Crime
- 27. Cyber-Security
- 28. After the Return to Theory: The Past, Present, and Future of Security Studies
- Glossary
- References
- Index
(p. 300) 20. Weapons of Mass Destruction
- Chapter:
- (p. 300) 20. Weapons of Mass Destruction
- Author(s):
James J. Wirtz
- DOI:
- 10.1093/hepl/9780198804109.003.0020
This chapter examines how weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) work and the effects they might have if used on the battlefield or against civilian targets. The threat posed by WMD proliferation to state actors is of increasing concern, and it is even more alarming if these weapons are deployed for terrorism purposes. A chemical weapons attack against a major sporting venue, for example, could kill thousands of people, while a successful anthrax attack might place hundreds of thousands at risk. The chapter considers how WMDs such as nuclear weapons, chemical weapons, and biological weapons have been used in war and how they have shaped the practice of international politics.
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- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- New to this Edition
- Notes on Contributors
- List of Figures
- List of Tables
- List of Boxes
- How to use this Book
- Online Resources
- 1. Introduction: What is Security Studies?
- Part 1 Approaches to Security
- 2. Realism
- 3. Liberalism and Liberal Internationalism
- 4. Historical Materialism
- 5. Peace Studies
- 6. Social Constructivism
- 7. Critical Security Studies: A Schismatic History
- 8. Poststructural Insights: Making Subjects and Objects of Security
- 9. Postcolonialism
- 10. Human Security
- 11. Gender and Security
- 12. Securitization
- Part 2 Deepening and Broadening Security
- 13. Military Security
- 14. Regime Security
- 15. Societal Security
- 16. Environmental Security
- 17. Economic Security
- 18. Globalization, Development, and Security
- Part 3 Traditional and Non-Traditional Security
- 19. Coercive Diplomacy: Countering War-Threatening Crises and Armed Conflicts
- 20. Weapons of Mass Destruction
- 21. Terrorism
- 22. Humanitarian Intervention
- 23. Energy Security
- 24. The Weapons Trade
- 25. Health and Security
- 26. Transnational Crime
- 27. Cyber-Security
- 28. After the Return to Theory: The Past, Present, and Future of Security Studies
- Glossary
- References
- Index
