Topic > Building the Atomic Bomb: History of Atomic Warfare

The impact of advances in physics between 1900 and 1938 could never have been predicted at the time of their discovery. The discoveries made would change not only the world of physics, but also the world as a whole. As developments were occurring in the fields of fission, atoms, and atomic energy, government officials now had to consider the possibility of atomic war when dealing with matters related to international politics. The first of the major world powers to implement the military use of discoveries in physics was Germany. Shortly thereafter, the United States and Great Britain began to organize research groups in the field of fission and nuclear warfare. The fate of these research projects was constantly in question. The decision of Germany, the United States and Great Britain to continue research would be influenced by many factors, including the progress of other countries' research, each country's confidence in its ability to complete the atomic bomb, and each country's confidence in inability of other countries. countries to produce the atomic bomb. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The discovery of fission, in December 19381, would begin the worldwide quest to unleash the power of the atom and formulate a way to use its power for atomic warfare. This discovery, made in Germany, gave the Germans a head start on the vast research still to be done to produce an atomic bomb. This advantage would soon prove short-lived. While this discovery stunned the world of physics with amazement, it also caused great concern among many physicists and government officials because of the implications it had in atomic warfare. This fear would become the main reason that would push the United States and Great Britain to pursue atomic research, particularly for military use. Germany was not aware not only of the pressure it exerted on other countries in the form of fear, but also of the research that arose from this fear. Germany's ignorance of this research allowed the German research project to continue at the same pace and escape pressure from other countries2. Without pressure from other countries, Germany had a false sense of security, which allowed it to ignore the urgent need to begin research. For many years the best physicists and scientists have studied and trained in Germany, due to its unrivaled reputation as the best location for scientific research. education and training available3. After completing their studies, many scientists chose to remain in Germany to do research or teach. Before 1933 this would have provided Germany with an invaluable resource of information and ideas, but growing anti-Semitic attitudes in Germany forced many scientists to flee the country. Among the refugees who fled Hitler's anti-Semitism were some of the most important contributors to the development of the atomic bomb, such as Albert Einstein and Leo Szilard4. Leo Slizard fled Germany on March 31, 19335, at which time he went to Britain where he conceived his neuron chain reaction. Slizard continued his research at Oxford in Great Britain until 1938, at which point he moved to New York City in anticipation and fear of the outbreak of World War II6. After moving to New York, Slizard and Eugene Wigner began working on plans to prevent Germany from making an atomic bomb. In 1939 Slizard and Wigner turned to Einstein to help them warn the United States of the threat posed by Germany. Slizard.