Weapon of mass destruction

A weapon of mass destruction (WMD) is generally taken to be a type of weapon which is designed to kill large numbers of people, usually civilians but also potentially military personnel.

The types of weapons traditionally considered to be of this variety are:

• nuclear weapons and radiological weapons
• biological weapons
• chemical weapons

This term is occasionally used in an emotionally charged and subjective manner, labelling a weapon used by an enemy as a "weapon of mass destruction" in order to rouse negative opinion against them, when in fact the weapon may not be as destructive as those traditionally not included under this category. Since this term is a subjective one without a rigorous definition, it is sometimes hard to determine when this is the case.

Although technology continues to increase the destructive potential of weapons, military forces in former times could achieve similar results with more laborious methods.

In the Third Punic War, the Roman Empire, victorious over its enemy Carthage, completely obliterated the city and sowed its farmland with salt to make it unusable.

During WWII, many Japanese and European cities (for example, Dresden, Hamburg, and Tokyo) were largely destroyed by conventional (especially incendiary) bombing or firestorms started by the bombing, with the number of killed over 50,000 in each attack.

The breaching of dams or dykes can also lead to mass destruction, as in the Dambusters raid.