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Biological and ChemicalWeapons
program HomePublicationsResourcesEventsStaff Current ResearchBiosecurity and Dual-Use TechnologiesBiodefense and Medical PreparednessEliminating Chemical Weapons
History of the US OffensiveBiological Warfare Program(1941-1973)
1940-19441945-19491950-19541955-19591960-19641965-19691970- 197517 June 1925: The United States signs the Geneva Protocol, formally titledthe Protocol for the Prohibition of the use in War of Asphyxiating,Poisonous or Other Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare. TheSenate, however, does not vote on the agreement until 1974.
1940-1944
Fall 1941: The US Army quietly begins to explore the feasibility of biological warfare through the Chemical Warfare Service (CWS), later theArmy Chemical Corps. Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson requests areport from the National Academy of Sciences evaluating and suggestingfuture steps for the US biological weapons program. In response, theNational Academy of Sciences establishes the War Bureau of ConsultantsCommittee.December 1941: Canadian scientists meet with the War Bureau of Consultants Committee, pledging future cooperation and informationsharing.February 1942: The requested National Academy of Sciences reportconcludes that human, animal and plant populations in the United Statesare susceptible to biological weapons attack. Consequently, the reportrecommends the development of defensive capabilities in the form of vaccines and protection of water supplies. The report also advocates
 
accelerating an offensive biological weapons program.February/March 1942: Informal liaisons are established between the CWSand Porton Down, the United Kingdom's chemical and biological warfareresearch organization.April 1942: Stimson argues in a memo to President Roosevelt for a small,secret biological weapons program. Stimson also suggests that a civilianagency, albeit with strong ties to the military, maintain overall control of the program.Summer 1942: The United Kingdom conducts tests using anthrax atGruinard Island off the coast of Scotland. The experiments prove thatairborne anthrax is highly infectious, making it all the more appealing as aweapon. July 1942: The Joint US-Canadian Commission is established to collaborateon biological warfare issues. With an early focus on the potential effects of rinderpest infestation on North American livestock, the commissioncoordinated joint experiments and eventually contributed to thedevelopment of a rinderpest vaccine.August 1942: George Merck, president of the Merck & Co. pharmaceuticalcompany, accepts the position as head of the newly-created War ResearchService (WRS), the coordinating agency that joins government and privateinstitution resources to carry out the US biological warfare program.Headed by a small cadre of well-connected individuals, the WRS begins toconduct research at dozens of American universities. Simultaneously, theWRS encourages the Chemical Warfare Service to expand its examinationof biological weapons potential and construct research facilities. The initialallocation in 1942 for the WRS totals $200,000. Meanwhile, the ChemicalWarfare Service receives millions of dollars to construct research facilities.1943: Construction begins on a biological weapons research anddevelopment facility at Camp Detrick in Frederick, Maryland. CampDetrick, which becomes operational that year with about 4,000 personnel,is renamed Fort Detrick in 1956. January 1943: WRS is running programs to explore the offensive potentialof botulinum toxin and anthrax. These two particular agents remain thefocus of the offensive program during the remaining World War II years.April 1943: WRS requests an additional $25,000 for 1943, on top of itsoriginal $200,000 allocation. The 1944 budget request later increases to$350,000. Eventually, President Roosevelt hikes the 1944 WRS fundinglevel to $460,000.October 1943: A cloud chamber project is initiated at Fort Detrick.Operational in January 1945, the project is designed to investigateinfection via inhalation in small laboratory animals. These effortscontribute to the mass of data accumulated by research in Canada and
 
the United Kingdom.December 1943: Intelligence reports suggest that Germany and Japanmight be planning a biological attack against the United States and urgean intensification of the US germ warfare program.Late 1943: Work begins on development of 500-pound anthrax bombs,each containing over 100 smaller bomblets. The United Kingdomcontributes technical assistance to the effort. CWS also producesbotulinum toxin.1944: CWS requests and receives $2.5 million to fund anthrax andbotulinum toxin bombs. That allocation would be sufficient to produce275,000 botulinum toxin or one million anthrax bombs every month. Workalso begins on a 2,000-acre facility on Horn Island in Pascagoula,Mississippi for field trials; a 250-square mile location near Dugway ProvingGround in Utah for bombing tests; and a 6,100-acre manufacturing plantin Vigo, near Terre Haute, Indiana.Early 1944: Concerns grow over possible arming of Germany's V-1 bombswith biological weapons agents.May 1944: The Vigo Ordnance Plant is built near Terre Haute with theintention of using it as a biological weapons agent production andmunition filling facility. However, the facility runs only in a test phase. TheArmy deactivates it in 1946 following the conclusion of the war and sells itto an American pharmaceutical company.May 1944: At the suggestion of Stimson and Paul McNutt, head of theFederal Security Agency, President Roosevelt agrees to transfer thebiological warfare program to the War Department and dissolves the WRS.Within the War Department, the Chemical Warfare Service handles thestudy of biological warfare agents, biological warfare intelligence, andbiological warfare defense. Fort Detrick runs the research anddevelopment program.Summer 1944: British Prime Minister Winston Churchill approves an orderof 500,000 4-pound anthrax bombs, to be built in the United States. Thewar ends before the order is completed.October 1944: Stimson creates the US Biological War Committee as areplacement for the WRS. Merck is appointed chairman. Within theChemical Warfare Service, the biological weapons program is funneledinto the Special Projects Division, employing some 3,900 people at itspeak.October 1944: Vannevar Bush and James Conant, Directors of the Office of Scientific Research and Development, urge Stimson to press the presidentto consider creating international arrangements to address the new issuesgenerated by germ warfare programs. They envision more openinternational discussions of biological weapons programs and information
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