Albert Einstein/the Manhattan Project
Historical Question: How did Albert Einstein influence the creation and evolution of the Manhattan Project and why did Einstein’s thoughts and involvement in the Manhattan Project change throughout World War II?
Albert Einstein was undoubtedly one of the geniuses of the twentieth century. His work with gravity, relativity, light, and the universe helped to herald in a golden age for the study of science, of which scientists are still marveling at and studying today. Additionally, he was well-known for his participation in the Manhattan Project and the construction of the two atomic bombs. Along with numerous other scientists such as Fermi and Szilard, Einstein came to the realization that Nazi Germany was on its way to constructing weapons with enormous amounts of energy. Einstein’s letter to President Roosevelt sparked the formation of the Manhattan Project with J. Robert Oppenheimer as the technical lead, while Einstein’s theories provided much of the basis of what was to be used in the construction of the bombs. Einstein, however, did not play an active role in the creation of the weapons. A self-declared pacifist, he quickly regretted his decision and could only watch the aftermath that ensued in Japan. 1939 was a landmark year in atomic physics, as a great migration of physicists from Europe to England and America was underway, because of the foreshadowing of another great war. Hitler’s ascension to power through cruel methods, such as the persecution of many political opponents and ethnicities, and his increase in territory only signaled that another massive war was nearly underway. These physicists brought with them not only critical scientific intelligence but also a sense of acute political emergency. Two of these physicists, Leo Szilard and Eugene Wegner drafted a letter for President Roosevelt with the help of Albert Einstein. Interestingly, Szilard and Wegner asked just Einstein to sign it, as he had many political connections and more authority
Albert Einstein was undoubtedly one of the geniuses of the twentieth century. His work with gravity, relativity, light, and the universe helped to herald in a golden age for the study of science, of which scientists are still marveling at and studying today. Additionally, he was well-known for his participation in the Manhattan Project and the construction of the two atomic bombs. Along with numerous other scientists such as Fermi and Szilard, Einstein came to the realization that Nazi Germany was on its way to constructing weapons with enormous amounts of energy. Einstein’s letter to President Roosevelt sparked the formation of the Manhattan Project with J. Robert Oppenheimer as the technical lead, while Einstein’s theories provided much of the basis of what was to be used in the construction of the bombs. Einstein, however, did not play an active role in the creation of the weapons. A self-declared pacifist, he quickly regretted his decision and could only watch the aftermath that ensued in Japan. 1939 was a landmark year in atomic physics, as a great migration of physicists from Europe to England and America was underway, because of the foreshadowing of another great war. Hitler’s ascension to power through cruel methods, such as the persecution of many political opponents and ethnicities, and his increase in territory only signaled that another massive war was nearly underway. These physicists brought with them not only critical scientific intelligence but also a sense of acute political emergency. Two of these physicists, Leo Szilard and Eugene Wegner drafted a letter for President Roosevelt with the help of Albert Einstein. Interestingly, Szilard and Wegner asked just Einstein to sign it, as he had many political connections and more authority
Bibliography: Primary Sources: "CP-1 Goes Critical, December 2, 1942." Department of Energy - CFO Home http://www.cfo.doe.gov/me70/manhattan/cp-1_critical.htm (accessed April 15, 2010). Einstein, Albert (1939, August 2). Letter to President Roosevelt. Retrieved February 28, 2010 from the University of Virginia’s website: 1939)]. Created the Nuclear Age, 178-79. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009. [ 4 ]. Loeber, Charles R, “Einstein Opens the Door,” Building the Bombs: A History of the Nuclear Weapons Complex (Albuquerque: Sandia National Laboratories, 2005), p. 1-18. [ 6 ]. Department of Energy, CP-1 Goes Critical, December 2, 1942, http://www.cfo.doe.gov/me70/manhattan/cp-1_critical.htm [ 7 ] [ 10 ]. Leslie R. Groves, “Alamogordo” Now It Can Be Told; The Story of the Manhattan Project (New York: De Capo Press, 1962) p. 297-298 [ 11 ] [ 12 ]. Amir D. Aczel, “The Decision to Use the Bomb” Uranium Wars (New York: Palgrave MacMillan, 2009) p. 178-179