Jewish scientists and the Manhattan Project Military history of Jewish Americans

a few months after put in charge of fast neutron research, berkeley physicist j. robert oppenheimer convened conference on topic of nuclear weapon design.



leó szilárd driving force create manhattan project authored einstein–szilárd letter signed albert einstein



albert einstein (left) j. robert oppenheimer (right) working on manhattan project



the fat man mushroom cloud resulting nuclear explosion on nagasaki rises 18 km (11 mi, 60,000 ft) air hypocenter resulting in surrender of japan , united states victory on japan in world war ii. executive order of president harry s. truman, u.s. dropped nuclear weapon little boy on city of hiroshima on monday, august 6, 1945, followed detonation of fat man on nagasaki on august 9. these 2 events active deployments of nuclear weapons in war. target of hiroshima city of considerable military importance, containing japan s second army headquarters, being communications center , storage depot. 6 days after detonation on nagasaki, on august 15, 1945, japan announced surrender allied powers, signing instrument of surrender on september 2, 1945, officially ending pacific war , therefore world war ii.

america s rise nuclear power resulted directly manhattan project, codename project during world war ii develop first atomic bombs wartime use. project s roots began in 1939 when, @ urging of leó szilárd, albert einstein signed einstein–szilárd letter president franklin d. roosevelt expressing concerns nazi germany may trying develop nuclear weapons.

albert einstein (1879–1955) theoretical physicist , philosopher, regarded 1 of influential , best known scientists , intellectuals of time. german-swiss nobel laureate, einstein regarded father of modern physics. father hermann einstein, salesman , engineer. mother pauline einstein (née koch). einsteins non-observant jews.

in 1933, einstein compelled immigrate united states due rise power of nazis under germany s new chancellor, adolf hitler. while visiting american universities in april 1933, learned new german government had passed law barring jews holding official positions, including teaching @ universities. month later, nazi book burnings occurred, einstein s works being among burnt, , nazi propaganda minister joseph goebbels proclaimed, jewish intellectualism dead. einstein learned name on list of assassination targets, $5,000 bounty on head . 1 german magazine included him in list of enemies of german regime phrase, not yet hanged .

leó szilárd (1898–1964) jewish hungarian physicist conceived nuclear chain reaction in 1933, patented idea of nuclear reactor enrico fermi, , in late 1939 wrote letter albert einstein s signature resulted in manhattan project built atomic bomb. szilárd left hungary because of rising antisemitism under horthy regime, excluded jewish students hungary s universities.

szilárd directly responsible creation of manhattan project. drafted confidential letter franklin d. roosevelt explaining possibility of nuclear weapons, warning of nazi work on such weapons , encouraging development of program create them. during august 1939 approached old friend , collaborator albert einstein , convinced him sign letter, lending fame proposal. einstein–szilárd letter resulted in establishment of research nuclear fission u.s. government , creation of manhattan project; fdr gave letter aide, general edwin m. pa watson instruction: pa, requires action! later, szilárd relocated university of chicago continue work on project. there, along fermi, helped construct first neutronic reactor , uranium , graphite atomic pile in first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction achieved, during 1942. szilárd became naturalized citizen of united states during 1943.

j. robert oppenheimer (1904–1967) appointed scientific director of manhattan project, world war ii project developed first nuclear weapons. referred father of atomic bomb . oppenheimer born julius s. oppenheimer, had immigrated united states germany in 1888 parents , become wealthy jewish textile importer, , ella friedman, painter.

among other german scientists forced flee germany fourteen nobel laureates , 26 of 60 professors of theoretical physics in country. among scientists came united states or allies edward teller, niels bohr, enrico fermi, otto stern, victor weisskopf, hans bethe, , lise meitner, many of whom worked ensure allies develop nuclear weapons before nazis. many jewish scientists forced live in united states, worked together, einstein wrote friend, me beautiful thing in contact few fine jews—a few millennia of civilized past mean after all. in letter writes, in whole life have never felt jewish now. einstein offered position @ institute advanced study @ princeton, new jersey, affiliation lasted until death in 1955.

in summer of 1939, few months before beginning of world war ii, einstein persuaded write letter president franklin d. roosevelt , warn him nazi germany might developing atomic bomb. einstein helped strengthen letter, , recommended u.s. begin uranium enrichment , nuclear research. according f.g. gosling of u.s. department of energy, einstein, szilard, , other refugees including edward teller , eugene wigner, regarded responsibility alert americans possibility german scientists might win race build atomic bomb, , warn hitler more willing resort such weapon. gosling adds president man of considerable action once had chosen direction, , believed u.s. not take risk of allowing hitler possess nuclear bombs.

other weapons historians agree letter arguably key stimulus u.s. adoption of serious investigations nuclear weapons on eve of u.s. entry world war ii . result of einstein s letter, , meetings roosevelt, u.s. entered race develop bomb first, drawing on immense material, financial, , scientific resources . due manhattan project, country succeed in developing atomic bomb during world war ii.

germany surrendered before atomic weapons used against it. japan bombed surrendering when united states deployed 2 atomic bombs against @ atomic bombings of hiroshima , nagasaki on august 6 , 9, 1945.