The Manhattan Project Essay

Since ancient times, humanity has invented new, increasingly destructive types of weapons. Bows and crossbows changed firearms, along with the development of aviation, bombs appeared. Then chemical and bacteriological weapons were invented. Finally, in 1945, scientists were able to create something fundamentally new: a weapon that was capable of destroying the entire human civilization. Work on the creation of a nuclear bomb was carried out in many countries, including Germany, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union. For instance, Nazi Germany advanced in nuclear development earlier than other countries. Nevertheless, Hitler was not destined to become the first in the creation of nuclear weapons. The US has become the leader in this industry. The program to develop nuclear weapons was called the Manhattan Project. Thus, the main aim of the assignment is to explore different issues associated with the Manhattan Project because the Manhattan project is one of the key moments of the initial period of the Cold War and the starting point of the era of atomic weapons.

To begin, it is important to note that the Manhattan Project was an atomic bomb research and development program. This project was led by the United States in cooperation with other countries, such as the United Kingdom and Canada. The Manhattan project started on September 17, 1942. However, the work that is associated with the study of radioactive substances was carried out long before the start of the project. In particular, since 1939, experiments were carried out in the “Uranium Committee” (Schweber, 2000). Naturally, all works of this kind were classified from the very beginning, and remained secret for a long time after the end of the war.

The main reason that the creation of a nuclear bomb became one of the priority scientific directions was the interest of Nazi Germany in the creation of the newest weapons of mass destruction. In 1939, the authorities of this country received a letter from Paul Hartek, a professor at the University of Hamburg. The letter dealt with the fundamental possibility of creating a new type of high-performance explosive. At the end of the letter, Hartek assured that “the country that is the first to be able to practically master the achievements of nuclear physics will gain absolute superiority over others” (Norris, 2002).

Observing the main tasks of the Manhattan Project, it can be said that absolute superiority was exactly the main aim, which Adolf Hitler wanted to achieve. Therefore, the project participants had two tasks at the same time. It was necessary to not only create their own nuclear weapons, but also, if possible, prevent the Nazis from developing the same.  To solve the first problem, the efforts of the most talented nuclear physicists were important. The project attracted the best of the best scientists. Nowadays, any specialist in nuclear physics with respect reads the list of participants in the Manhattan Project because it included many outstanding scientists of world renown.

Regarding the second task, only the military could solve it. That is why the project management was double. American physicist Robert Oppenheimer and General Leslie Groves led it, as well as Oppenheimer later recommended “to use the weapons to help save American lives in the Japanese war” (Memorandum by J. R. Oppenheimer, 1945). The task that faced Groves was not an easy one: while scientists spent sleepless nights trying to develop a “viable” model of a new weapon, he needed not only to find out the enemy’s achievements, but also to capture and deliver to America the leading German physicist scientists’ materials and nuclear fission documents and equipment.

The process of creating an atomic bomb was not moving as fast as the military would like. In 1944, there were two main schemes for creating a bomb: one based on uranium, the other based on plutonium. Nevertheless, the project participants faced an almost insurmountable obstacle. They could not make a detailed version of the uranium bomb, because the total amount of highly enriched uranium-235 at that time was only a few grams, and there were no industrial ways to produce it. The situation with plutonium was exactly the opposite: they were able to mine in the right quantities, but there was no plutonium-based bomb scheme.

By the middle of 1945, most of the technical problems were solved. The necessary amount of radioactive substances was accumulated gradually. At the same time, a potential list of targets for nuclear bombardments was being planned and all of them were in Japan. Initially, this list included the bay of Tokyo (for demonstration), Yokohama, Osaka, Kobe, Hiroshima, Kokura, Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Sasebo. Later this list was changed for several times because a part of Japanese cities was destroyed because of the usual bombing.

Using the above mentioned facts, it can be said that intensive efforts to create an atomic bomb were initially justified by the need to get ahead of Germany, where work on the creation of nuclear weapons was carried out at an accelerated pace. When the defeat of Germany became inevitable, the work was continued on a larger scale in order to consolidate the US military-technical superiority and launch a nuclear strike on Japan. At the beginning of April 1945, the leaders of the Manhattan Project presented a report on the readiness of atomic bombs to U.S. Secretary of War Henry Stimson.

The intention of the American government to use an atomic bomb against Japan caused opposition from many scientists who participated in its creation. The commission, chaired by J. Franck, prepared a petition addressed to the US President, in which it warned the country’s leadership about the fragility of the American nuclear monopoly and advised not to use an atomic bomb for military purposes. However, on July 16, 1945, in the desert region of New Mexico, not far from the Alamogordo air base, was made the first explosion of a nuclear device. About this test, US President G. Truman, having resorted to allegories, informed the head of the Soviet delegation, I.V. Stalin at the Berlin (Potsdam) Conference in 1945. This was the beginning of “atomic diplomacy”.

Analyzing the above mentioned information, it is important to note that 1945 was a turning point in the history of the Manhattan project. Scientists eagerly prepared for the testing of the world’s first nuclear bomb. Initially, they were going to arrange an explosion in a closed metal thick-walled container in order to save as much as possible of plutonium in case of failure. However, fortunately, this idea was abandoned. Scientists could not accurately predict possible outcomes of the explosion. There was known too little about the capabilities of the atom at that time. Finally, they decided to blow up “Trinity” at an open range, away from populated areas. Having considered several options, the committee finally stopped in the Alamogordo area. It was located on the territory of the air base, although the airfield itself was located at some distance.

In general, the atmosphere at the site was strange. Some viewers (among the military) simply could not understand the essence of what was happening, others were frankly glad that they had survived, and others still plunged into calculations. The spectacle of a nuclear mushroom turned out to be so frightening that many of the scientists thought for the first time about the power they had released.

The power of the explosion was great. It was the most powerful explosion that ever thundered on Earth. In order to imagine its strength, it can be said that this kind of destructive effect could have caused the 2000 most powerful bombs from the Second World War. However, Trinity was only the first offspring of the Manhattan project. Within the framework of the Manhattan project, two more bombs were created: the Fat Man with plutonium and the Little Boy with uranium (U.S. Department of Energy, 2012). The names were not the fruit of someone’s original fantasy, just the shells of the bombs had the appropriate similarity, hence the names. They were used in the bombardment of Japanese cities.

At first, the military and politicians were only happy about the emergence of a new weapon and were looking forward in searches of new objects where it could be used. Questions of ethics were of little concern. It was much more often discussed whether it was worth using bombs as they were made or to accumulate a stock of several bombs to conduct a mass bombardment of Japan. Having received a report on the successful testing of Trinity, President Truman presented an ultimatum to Japan, in which he demanded an immediate end to the war. Answering the question about the choice of Hiroshima as the target for the bomb, the project manager explained that Hiroshima was Japan’s most important military facility.

As a result, on August 6 and 9, 1945, the United States dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (Kirstein, 2009). According to many scientists and politicians, the use of nuclear weapons against Japanese cities was not caused by military necessity and was intended to demonstrate the political and military hegemony of the United States in the world. It means that atomic bombing was one of the first acts of the beginning of the Cold War and the nuclear arms race.

The Manhattan project was, in a way, international. Scientists from various countries took part in its implementation: immigrants from Germany, Denmark, as well as British, Canadian, and American scientists. Well-organized work and competent regulation by the state helped the Manhattan project to become the first ever-successful implementation of the idea of creating new weapons of mass destruction, which initiated the atomic era.

In conclusion, we have explored many issues associated with the Manhattan Project, and have explained that the Manhattan project was one of the most expensive in the history of humanity. At first, the project’s participants were sincerely convinced that the creation of such powerful weapons would put an end to all wars. However, its appearance led to a nuclear arms race and attempts to invent bombs that are even more powerful. In addition, it should be stated that in the end, the developers of the atomic bomb realized the enormity of their invention. A weapon that can destroy all of humanity is not a joke. Subsequently, many members of the Manhattan Project were members of various peacemaking organizations who advocated universal disarmament and peacekeeping.

Works Cited

Kirstein, P. “Hiroshima and Spinning the Atom: America, Britain, and Canada Proclaim the Nuclear Age, 6 August 1945.” The Historian, vol. 71, no. 4, Winter 2009.

Memorandum by J. R. Oppenheimer. “Recommendations on the Immediate Use of Nuclear Weapons,” June 16, 1945, Top Secret. Source: RG 77, MED Records, H-B files, folder no. 76 (copy from microfilm). Available at https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu//NSAEBB/NSAEBB162/19.pdf

Norris, R. Racing for the Bomb: General Leslie Groves, the Manhattan Project’s Indispensable Man. Steerforth Press, 2002.

Schweber, S. In the Shadow of the Bomb: Oppenheimer, Bethe and the Moral Responsibility of the Scientist. Princeton University Press, 2000.

U.S. Department of Energy. “The Manhattan Project: an Interactive History.” Office of History and Heritage Resources, 2012. Available at https://www.osti.gov/opennet/manhattan-project-history/Events/1945/trinity.htm

The terms offer and acceptance. (2016, May 17). Retrieved from

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freeessays.club (2016) The terms offer and acceptance [Online].
Available at:

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]
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