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The Father of the Atomic Bomb
‘Now, I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.’
The possibility of a nuclear weapon in the hands of the Nazi Party was a terrifying prospect for the Allies during the Second World War. Following the German invasion of Poland in 1939, several European physicists — including Albert Einstein — warned America about the Nazis’ desire to make an atomic bomb. Desperate to outpace their German rivals, the American government got to work.
The Manhattan Project
The challenge of harnessing nuclear energy for military purposes was known as the Manhattan Project.
Top scientists (including many exiles from Nazi-occupied Europe) travelled across the Atlantic and combined their skills with the mighty production power of American industry. In total, 65,000 workers and scientists — spread out across thirty sites in America and Canada — were involved.
The Manhattan Project ran like any other company. The sites were bought and prepared. Personnel and subcontractors were paid. Houses and facilities were constructed to support those involved. And networks of communication were established.
Physicists across the world already knew that if a chain reaction was controlled, nuclear fission could lead to a colossal amount of power. But unlike…
