On August 2, 1939, Albert Einstein penned a letter to the US government and Franklin Roosevelt, warning them about the potential of the Nazi government developing a new weapon of mass destruction. This atomic bomb is formed by harnessing nuclear power and can lead to untold destruction. The warning spurred the US government into trying to create their weapon through the Manhattan Project.
Letters Leading to Weapons
By 1939, Nazi Germany under Adolf. Hitler began its brutal expansion across Europe. His success led him to rapidly conquer most of the continent. This created great fear amongst the population, particularly the scientific community who fled to the United States as they feared Hitler and the Nazis would force them to develop new destructive weapons.
Just a year prior, German physicists Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassmann had already discovered the potential for nuclear fission, which involved splitting an atom to release a tremendous force of energy, something many scientists feared would be weaponized, especially if Nazi Germany were to develop these weapons.
For that reason, Einstein decided to approach the US, sending letters to them about the potential of this development and warning them so they could begin their research and stay ahead of the Germans. The letter was delivered to Roosevelt who understood the seriousness of the situation.
In response to the development, he formed the Advisory Committee on Uranium. This committee’s work began gathering all the necessary materials and individuals who could help with the development of nuclear weapons. This culminated in the development first atomic bombs by the US and not Germany. However, he expressed regret in his role after witnessing the destruction and wished the bomb was never developed.
This wasn’t the US’s only race against another great empire as decades later, they would find themselves in the space race. However, this race would have its risks as seen by Kennedey’s Contingency Letter.
“Sir,
…It may become possible to set up a nuclear chain reaction in a large mass of uranium, by which vast amounts of power and large quantities of new radium-like elements would be generated. Now it appears almost certain that this could be achieved in the immediate future.
This new phenomenon would also lead to the construction of bombs, and it is conceivable—though much less certain—that extremely powerful bombs of a new type may thus be constructed. A single bomb of this type, carried by boat and exploded in a port, might very well destroy the whole port together with some of the surrounding territory. However, such bombs might very well prove to be too heavy for transportation by air.
Yours very truly,
Albert Einstein, physicist.
Albert Einstein”
