The Atomic Bomb

The Atomic Bomb

1939-1945

In 1942, The first atomic pile, a sustained controllable nuclear chain reaction, came online in Chicago. Scientist and inventor Enrico Fermi remarked, "This will be remembered as the darkest day in history," referring to both the atomic pile and that day's announcement of Nazi death camps operating in occupied Europe. Actually, most people have no knowledge of that day; they remember the ultimate achievement began on that date -the atomic bomb.

The Manhattan Project - named because the first team started working in Manhattan - was started before the war began at the urging of Einstein and other scientists. The warning was terrifyingly simple - the best theoretical physics was being done in Germany. A weapon of unimaginable power is possible. If the Nazis get it first, it won't matter what the size is of the Allied Armed Forces, they could be annihilated in nuclear fire.

But raids on the German uranium and heavy water production facilities showed they were far behind the American efforts. A comprehensive facility, secretly built in Los Alamos, was administrated by US Army General Leslie Groves and managed by civilian scientist Robert Oppenheimer. By 1944, they were developing an atomic weapon that would deliver a knockout blow to Nazi Germany.

But as the spring of 1945 ended, and the bomb moved from theory to reality, the scientists began to question whether it was necessary to develop a weapon. When the bomb was ready for testing in July