Abstract (eng)
The present thesis examines the efficiency of the agreements concerning the ban on chemical and biological weapons during the Cold War period. It reflects on the first agreements at the end of the 19th century, and sets it in context to the Biological and Chemical Weapons Conventions at the end of the 20th century. In particular, it focuses on the negotiations to reach these latter agreements. The political theories Realism and Institutionalism are used to interpret the debates which finally lead to the conventions.
Furthermore, the thesis attempts to connect the two disciplines History and Political Science to obtain a comprehensive picture on how these agreements came into being. It also takes the geopolitical circumstances and the divergent national views into account. Finally, it highlights the shortcomings of the international chemical and biological weapons regime