Anthrax's debut as a modern weapon occurred more than eight decades ago. The warriors—-terrorists to their enemies, wielded anthrax in a bitter fight for national liberation, and acquired their toxins from a major power that was in desperate straits. This scenario sounds familiar eight decades later. The first modern biowarriors were Scandinavians fighting for Finland’s liberation from the Russian Empire in 1916.

The ringleader of the anthrax scheme in Finland was Baron Otto Carl Robert von Rosen, a native of Solna, Sweden, and a former lieutenant in the Swedish Army. Baron von Rosen had lived and worked in Finland since 1912. He looked the part of a stereotypical secret agent and saboteur of his era. His icy blue eyes cast the glimmer of a freedom fighter’s idealism. High cheekbones, a square jaw, and sharply chiseled nose complemented his aristocratic bearing. Attired for a photograph in a high white collar, dark tunic and black leather overcoat, Von Rosen evokes a sinister priest. His thirtieth birthday occurred during the opening year of the First World War, yet his receding hairline added years to his age.

More... Please visit the website to read more and see a photo of Baron von Rosen.