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Introduction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2024

Mark Walker
Affiliation:
Union College, New York
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Summary

In 1938 nuclear fission was discovered in Germany. Like their counterparts in other countries, German scientists brought the military potential of fission to the attention of officials and began researching isotope separation and nuclear reactors, the two paths to atomic bombs. During the Blitzkrieg phase of the war, powerful new weapons were not needed, so that the research had low priority and made modest progress. When the war slowed down in the winter of 1942-1942, the uranium research was evaluated with the result that it became clear that atomic bombs could not be made in Germany in time to influence the outcome of the war. Because the Americans, who had much greater resources, were apparently working on this, the Germans continued to as well. The steadily deteriorating state of the war made research more difficult, then impossible, as the scientists were focussed on their survival. After the war, the revelations of the Holocaust, and the atomic bombing of Japan, these scientists were criticized for collaborating with the Nazis and had to justify their work. The result was the legend of Copenhagen, a claim that they had in fact been trying to forestall all nuclear weapons.

Type
Chapter
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Hitler's Atomic Bomb
History, Legend, and the Twin Legacies of Auschwitz and Hiroshima
, pp. 1 - 2
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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  • Introduction
  • Mark Walker, Union College, New York
  • Book: Hitler's Atomic Bomb
  • Online publication: 18 July 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009479264.002
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  • Introduction
  • Mark Walker, Union College, New York
  • Book: Hitler's Atomic Bomb
  • Online publication: 18 July 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009479264.002
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Introduction
  • Mark Walker, Union College, New York
  • Book: Hitler's Atomic Bomb
  • Online publication: 18 July 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009479264.002
Available formats
×