Periodic Table — A map of human Civilization and it’s Conflicts

The periodic table is a representation of the chemical elements and their properties, such as atomic number, mass, and reactivity. It is also a map of the natural resources that are essential for human civilization and technological development. However, these resources are not evenly distributed across the world, and some of them are becoming increasingly scarce and valuable. This creates a potential source of conflict and competition among nations and regions that depend on these resources for their economic and military power.

One of the most influential factors in the history of geo-political conflicts is the availability and distribution of natural resources, especially those that are essential for industrial and technological development. Among these resources, the elements of the periodic table play a crucial role, as they determine the #chemical and #physical properties of materials, fuels, weapons, and energy sources. The history of wars based on the periodic table is a fascinating and complex strategic research and thinking that explores how the discovery and use of different chemical elements influenced the course of human conflicts.

From the #ancient times, when metals such as iron, copper, and bronze were used to forge weapons and armor, to the modern era, when nuclear fission and fusion unleashed unprecedented destructive power, the periodic table has been a key factor in shaping the outcomes of wars. Some of the most notable examples of wars based on the periodic table are:

• The #Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were partly driven by the need for sodium and #potassium, which were used to make gunpowder. France had limited access to these elements, as they were mostly obtained from salt deposits in #Germany and #Spain. Napoleon tried to conquer these territories, but faced resistance from Britain and other #European powers. He also attempted to find alternative sources of sodium and potassium, such as #seawater and #plant ashes, but these methods were inefficient and costly.

• The #Opium Wars (1839–1860) were triggered by the trade imbalance between #China and #Britain, which was caused by the high demand for #silver in China. Silver was used as a #currency and a medium of exchange in China, but it was scarce and expensive. Britain wanted to buy #tea, #silk and #porcelain from China, but had little silver to offer. Instead, Britain smuggled opium, a #narcotic derived from the #poppy plant, into China and exchanged it for silver. This led to widespread addiction and social problems in China, and provoked the Chinese #government to ban opium and confiscate the #British stocks. This sparked a series of wars that resulted in the defeat of China and the opening of its ports and markets to foreign powers.

• The #Nitrate Wars (1879–1884 and 1932–1935), which were fought between #Chile, #Bolivia, and #Peru over the control of the #Atacama Desert, a region rich in #sodium nitrate, also known as #saltpeter. Sodium nitrate was a vital ingredient for making #gunpowder and explosives, as well as #fertilizers and other industrial products. Chile emerged victorious from both wars, annexing most of the Atacama Desert and depriving Bolivia of its access to the #Pacific Ocean.

• The #World Wars (1914–1918 and 1939–1945) involved the competition for iron, coal, oil and other strategic resources that were essential for the industrial and military development of the warring countries. Iron and #coal were used to produce #steel, which was used to make weapons, vehicles and #infrastructure. #Oil was used to power engines, planes and ships. The scarcity and uneven distribution of these resources led to the formation of alliances, the expansion of colonies, the invasion of territories and the development of new technologies, such as synthetic #fuels and nuclear weapons.

• The #Cold War (1947–1991) was marked by the race for nuclear supremacy between the United States and the Soviet Union, which relied on the uranium and plutonium isotopes to produce atomic bombs and reactors. These elements were rare and difficult to obtain, and their production and testing had environmental and health consequences. The nuclear arms race also increased the #political and #military tensions between the two #superpowers and their allies, and led to the creation of international organizations and treaties to regulate the use and proliferation of nuclear weapons.

• The #Transfermium Wars (1950s-1990s) were a series of scientific disputes over the discovery and naming of the transuranic elements, which are the elements with atomic numbers higher than 92. These elements are mostly synthetic and unstable, and can only be produced by bombarding other elements with high-energy particles in nuclear reactors or accelerators. The main contenders in the Transfermium Wars were the #USA, the #Soviet Union and #France, which claimed to have discovered and named several transuranic elements, such as #rutherfordium, #dubnium and #seaborgium. The conflicts were resolved by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), which established the criteria and rules for the recognition and naming of the new elements.

These are just some of the examples of how the periodic table has shaped the history of wars. As you can see, the chemical elements have played a significant role in the economic, political and technological aspects of human conflicts and cooperation. While periodic table is a powerful tool for understanding the chemical elements and their properties, it is also a fascinating way to explore the history of wars, as many elements have played a crucial role in shaping the outcomes of conflicts. The periodic table and the history of wars are intertwined, and how it’s elements has influenced warfare and vice versa.

The first element which I examine is #iron, which has the symbol Fe and the atomic number 26. Iron is one of the most abundant elements on #Earth, and it is essential for #life. It is also one of the oldest metals used by humans, dating back to the #Bronze Age. Iron was used to make #weapons, #armor, #tools, and #coins, and it gave rise to the Iron Age, a period of #technological and #cultural advancement. Iron was also a key factor in many wars, especially in ancient times. For example, the #Roman Empire relied on its superior iron #production and #metallurgy to equip its #legions with #swords, #spears, #shields, and #helmets. The Romans conquered much of #Europe, #Africa, and #Asia with their iron weapons, and they faced enemies who also used iron, such as the #Celts, the #Gauls, and the #Parthians. Another example of iron’s role in war is the Battle of #Thermopylae in 480 BC, where a small force of #Greek #hoplites led by #King #Leonidas of #Sparta held off a massive #Persian army for three days. The Greeks used iron weapons and armor, while the Persians used #bronze, which was softer and less durable. The Greeks inflicted heavy casualties on the Persians, but they were eventually overwhelmed by their sheer numbers. Iron continued to be a vital element in warfare throughout history, as it was used to make #cannons, #muskets, #rifles, #tanks, #ships, #planes, and #bombs. Iron also became a symbol of industrialization and #modernization, as countries that had access to iron resources and #technology had an advantage over those that did not.

The next element is #uranium, which has the symbol U and the atomic number 92. Uranium is a #radioactive element that was discovered in 1789 by Martin Heinrich Klaproth. Uranium has several isotopes, which are atoms with different numbers of neutrons. The most common isotope is uranium-238, which makes up about 99.3% of natural uranium. Uranium-238 is not very fissile, which means it cannot sustain a nuclear chain reaction by itself. However, another isotope of uranium is uranium-235, which makes up about 0.7% of natural uranium. Uranium-235 is fissile, which means it can split into smaller atoms when hit by a neutron, releasing energy and more neutrons. This process is called nuclear fission, and it can be used to create nuclear power or nuclear weapons. Uranium’s role in war began in 1939, when German scientists Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassmann discovered that uranium could undergo fission. This discovery sparked a race among several countries to develop atomic bombs during World War II. The United States led the #Manhattan Project, which involved thousands of scientists and engineers working in secret to produce the first atomic bombs. The Manhattan Project used two methods to enrich uranium-235 from natural uranium: gaseous diffusion and electromagnetic separation. These methods increased the concentration of uranium-235 from 0.7% to about 90%, making it suitable for a bomb. The first atomic bomb was tested on July 16, 1945 at #Alamogordo, New Mexico. The bomb had a yield of about 20 kilotons of TNT, equivalent to 20,000 tons of explosives. The bomb used a gun-type design, which involved shooting a piece of uranium-235 into another piece to create a critical mass. The second atomic bomb was dropped on August 6, 1945 on #Hiroshima, Japan. The bomb had a yield of about 15 kilotons of TNT, and it used a similar gun-type design as the first bomb. The bomb killed about 80,000 people instantly, and injured another 70,000. The bomb also caused widespread radiation sickness, cancer, and birth defects among the survivors. The third atomic bomb was dropped on August 9, 1945 on #Nagasaki, Japan. The bomb had a yield of about 21 kilotons of TNT, and it used an implosion-type design, which involved compressing a sphere of uranium-235 with explosives to create a critical mass. The bomb killed about 40,000 people instantly, and injured another 60,000. The bomb also caused similar effects as the first bomb. The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were the only times that nuclear weapons have been used in war, and they marked the end of #World War II. They also ushered in the nuclear age, a period of political and military tension between the United States and the Soviet Union, which both developed and tested more powerful nuclear weapons. The nuclear age also saw the emergence of the #Cold War, the arms race, the #space race, and the threat of #nuclear annihilation.

The last element we will look at is #hydrogen, which has the symbol H and the atomic number 1. Hydrogen is the simplest and most abundant element in the universe, and it is the main component of stars and planets. Hydrogen is also a source of energy, as it can be burned with oxygen to produce water and heat. Hydrogen can also be used to create nuclear fusion, which is the opposite of nuclear fission. Nuclear #fusion involves fusing two atoms of hydrogen into one atom of #helium, releasing even more #energy and #neutrons. This process is how #stars generate their energy, and it can also be used to create nuclear weapons. Hydrogen’s role in war began in 1952, when the United States tested the first hydrogen bomb at Enewetak Atoll in the Pacific Ocean. The bomb had a yield of about 10 megatons of #TNT, equivalent to 10 million tons of #explosives. The bomb used a two-stage design, which involved using a fission bomb to trigger a #fusion bomb. The fission bomb provided the high temperature and pressure needed to initiate fusion in a mixture of #deuterium and #tritium, which are #isotopes of hydrogen. The first hydrogen bomb was followed by more tests by the United States and the Soviet Union, which both developed and deployed more powerful hydrogen bombs. The largest hydrogen bomb ever tested was the Tsar Bomba by the Soviet Union in 1961, which had a yield of about 50 megatons of TNT, equivalent to 50 million tons of explosives. The bomb was so powerful that it created a fireball that was visible from 1,000 kilometers away, and a mushroom cloud that reached 64 kilometers in height. The hydrogen bomb was never used in war, but it was a major factor in the Cold War and the arms race. The hydrogen bomb also raised ethical and environmental concerns, as it posed a greater risk of #nuclear fallout, radiation poisoning, and global warming. These are just some examples of how the periodic table and the history of wars are connected, and how chemistry has influenced warfare and vice versa. There are many more elements that have played a role in war, such as gold, silver, copper, tin, lead, mercury, sulfur, saltpeter, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, chlorine, fluorine, iodine, radium, plutonium, and more. Each element has its own story and significance, and each war has its own chemistry and consequences. The periodic table is not just a collection of symbols and numbers, but a map of human history and civilization.

Even before China+ strategy was coined, I was a minority voice which predicted that Future wars will be the Rare Earth Wars. This is the grim prediction but as I warned a decade back that the global demand for rare earth elements (REEs) will soon outstrip the supply. REEs are a group of 17 metals that are essential for many high-tech products, such as smartphones, electric vehicles, wind turbines, and military equipment. They are also vital for green energy and defense technologies, making them a strategic resource for many countries … more on this in my next article …