ID: Manhattan Project
WHEN: 1942-1946 (Peak Activity: 1942-1945)
WHO:
- Key Scientists: J. Robert Oppenheimer (scientific director), Enrico Fermi, Leo Szilard, Albert Einstein (wrote letter urging action)
- Military Leadership: General Leslie Groves (military director)
- Government: President Franklin D. Roosevelt, President Harry S. Truman
- Participating Nations: United States, United Kingdom, Canada
WHAT:
A top-secret research and development project during World War II that produced the first atomic bombs. It involved numerous research facilities across the United States (Los Alamos, NM; Oak Ridge, TN; Hanford, WA), Canada, and the United Kingdom. The project was initiated out of fear that Nazi Germany was developing similar weapons. It culminated in the creation of two atomic bombs: “Little Boy” (uranium-based) and “Fat Man” (plutonium-based).
IMPACT: Why Significant?:
- End of WWII in the Pacific: The atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima (August 6, 1945) and Nagasaki (August 9, 1945) led to Japan’s surrender and the end of World War II.
- Beginning of the Nuclear Age: Ushered in a new era of warfare and global politics defined by the existence of nuclear weapons.
- Cold War: The development and use of atomic weapons initiated the nuclear arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union, a key aspect of the Cold War.
- Ethical Concerns: Raised profound ethical questions about the use of such devastating weapons and the responsibility of scientists in developing them.
- Nuclear Proliferation: Led to concerns about the spread of nuclear weapons to other nations and the potential for nuclear war.
- Increased Government Funding for Science: Demonstrated the power of scientific research and led to increased government funding for scientific endeavors, especially in areas related to national defense.