The U.S. presidential election is drawing near. With Biden stepping aside, it's a direct contest between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. Global attention is fixed on the U.S. elections, and it's not without reason. Everything that happens in America, good or bad, impacts the world. Today, we'll dive into the creation that is seen as mankind's greatest threat, yet hailed as the great deterrent of world wars. This clandestine mission unfolded in a secluded forest, hidden from maps. Let's uncover the complete story of this momentous undertaking carried out deep in the woods.
In a small town bustling with grazing cattle and sheep, the world's most destructive weapon was crafted. This is the riveting tale of Los Alamos, where the first atomic bomb was secretly constructed during World War II. From here emerged the world's most perilous creation, capable of threatening entire cities, nations, and even humanity itself, while paradoxically being touted as a solution to global peace. Let's dive into the full story.
World War II was gaining momentum. The globe had witnessed bombardments by airplanes and artillery, yet no weapon of mass destruction had granted nations the upper hand for chaos. The term 'atomic bomb' was foreign to most, and not even a fragment of this concept had crossed a scientist's mind. However, Otto Hahn, a German scientist of Hitler's Germany, and his apprentice Strassmann were bombarding uranium with neutrons in their lab. Suddenly, uranium transmuted into barium, leaving them puzzled at these unexpected changes. It was an Austrian Jewish scientist named Lise who identified the process: fission. When this research was published in the journal Nature, it revealed a master weapon to faraway American scientists. At the core of this discovery was German Jewish scientist Albert Einstein's illustrious formula – E=MC²...
As Hitler began reversing Jewish displacement, Lise left Germany and made connections in the Western world. With the Jewish diaspora, Germany's Jewish intellectual elite was relocating. Across the ocean, the White House, on high alert, suspected Germany was developing an atomic bomb. When Japan bombarded Pearl Harbor, America was drawn into World War II. President Roosevelt penned a memo to Albert Einstein, urging initiation of a covert mission – the Manhattan Project.
By 1942, preparations for bomb-making began on the 18th floor of a towering building on Broadway, Manhattan. Scientists were selected, and Richard Groves, the mastermind behind the Pentagon, acquired 1,200 tons of uranium within just two months, establishing a factory. However, the atomic bomb remained a conceptual enigma.
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Richard Groves then turned his attention to a scientist named J. Robert Oppenheimer. Oppenheimer's entire family was deeply entrenched in communism. Groves conscripted him into this mission. Oppenheimer declared to the General, 'I will make the atomic bomb. Provide me with the resources, individuals, and funding I require immediately.' The General nodded, 'Done.'
Meanwhile, Hitler's forces were advancing across Europe and Japan wreaked havoc in Asia, besieging territories and targeting American Asia-Pacific bases. America desperately needed a weapon surpassing all known technologies.
Having found a remote site, a laboratory for the atomic bomb was established deep within the desolate forests of Los Alamos, far from the bustling streets of Manhattan. Thousands of scientists were ensnared in this secret wilderness for an indefinite period, severed from the outside world. This location vanished from maps. Their creation, the 'Gadget' as it was known, transformed this quiet town into a clandestine atomic laboratory. Scientists and military personnel converged there, dedicating years to constructing the atomic bomb.
Brilliant minds like Enrico Fermi, Richard Feynman, Leo Szilard, James Chadwick, Donald Mace, and Oppenheimer's brother Frank Oppenheimer collaborated on the Manhattan Project.
Elsewhere, war between Russia and Hitler had erupted as Russian and Nazi forces clashed. President Roosevelt’s untimely death further complicated matters. Hastily appointed President Harry Truman was unfamiliar with the atomic bomb plans. Yet, Los Alamos' scientists were fast-tracking the mission poised to wield civilization-ending power. Meanwhile, the Russian military soon overwhelmed Hitler's regime.
On May 7th, 1945, Nazi Germany surrendered to Russian forces, yet Japan persisted in its conquest. President Truman flew to Berlin to meet with British Prime Minister Churchill and Russian dictator Stalin. Truman hinted at an unprecedented asset capable of halting warfare. Stalin was aware, having kept a close eye on America's secret endeavor. Despite their alliance against Hitler, both nations' spies pursued each other intensely.
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By July, the first Plutonium was ready. On July 14th, an initial test failed. Two days later, another experiment commenced. As the rain subsided, the first trigger was pulled. The New Mexico wilderness quaked. A light show of fire erupted that the world had never seen before. The first atomic bomb detonated on American soil.
Now, a pressing question emerged: how should this bomb be used? Initially, Japan was pressured to halt, but the Samurai culture refused surrender. America dropped relentless bombs over Tokyo, claiming a hundred thousand lives, but the Japanese remained defiant. July 26th, 1945 brought a final ultimatum to Japan. The Emperor announced they would fight to their last breath. Truman never provided direct orders for the bomb but indirectly greenlit military leadership's decision.
At that time, the newly minted Uranium bomb, 'Little Boy,' was prepared. Resembling a rocket more than a bomb, it remained untested but was countenanced to function correctly. On the morning of August 6th, 1945, an American B-29 bomber released 'Little Boy' over Hiroshima. The blast area stretched three-quarters of a mile, jolting all of Japan. This singular bomb instantly claimed 80,000 lives. Though the Russian military infiltrated Japan, they refused to submit. After a two-day warning, another retort from Japan arrived.
On August 9th, 1945, another B-29 took off toward the enveloped skies over Kakuro, Japan. Due to cloud cover, the 'Fat Man' bomb was deployed over Nagasaki instead, killing another 80,000 people. Despite the atomic bomb assaults and Russian activity, Japan still resisted capitulation. Global criticism mounted against America for the devastation. Truman then decreed, 'No more bombs without my consent.' It was a turning point.
Simultaneously, Japan's resolve wavered due to the carnage. Ultimately, Japan agreed to surrender provided their Emperor remained in power. The stage was set. World War II concluded with the atom bomb lauded for its destructive prowess. America was vilified internationally, yet it emerged as a hero at home, culminating in an undersea nuclear test off Bikini Atoll the following year. J. Robert Oppenheimer was heralded, and America soared as a superpower.
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Observing Hiroshima's imagery, Stalin decisively pursued atomic development for Russia. Concurrently, America played its hand, proposing to the United Nations that nations ceased their nuclear pursuits. Stalin rejected this proposal. In 1949, an atomic explosion echoed from a remote location in Kazakhstan, unveiling the Soviet Union's atomic achievement. Thus commenced the Cold War between America and Russia, embroiling the world for decades to come.
Launching from Los Alamos, this covert mission ignited a competitive arms race among nations. Seventy years later, nuclear arsenals abound across America, Russia, France, Britain, China, India, Pakistan, and more. Current estimates place about 12,100 nuclear warheads within global reach. Agencies speculate that nations like Iran and North Korea clandestinely developed nuclear capabilities. Therefore, humanity remains at the mercy of the atomic bomb's overwhelming presence.
What Became of Los Alamos?
The forest that bore humankind's first atomic bomb now hosts the National Laboratory of Los Alamos, located in New Mexico. Here, beyond nuclear weaponry, researchers delve into computer science, biotechnology, energy, environment, and healthcare. Esteemed scientists have emerged from Los Alamos, innovating biotechnology responses to pandemics like DNA sequencing and virology. Additionally, minds here spearhead renewable energy, cancer, diabetes, and other medical treatments.
The Saga of Oppenheimer...
Renowned American theoretical physicist, J. Robert Oppenheimer, is celebrated as the father of the atomic bomb. Born in 1904, New York bore witness to Oppenheimer's upbringing under the guidance of his German-Jewish parents. A gifted thinker, Oppenheimer pursued rigorous academic pursuits from a young age, translating Greek and Latin literature at nine. His intellectual curiosity ultimately led him to the Bhagavad Gita, which he comprehended by learning Sanskrit. Oppenheimer endeared himself to the teachings of the Gita despite his family's communist roots. He immortalized a Gita verse during the atomic tests - 'Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.' This epitomized the bomb's potency and peril, along with the ramifications of America's secret mission that paved the way for new invention and an era's arms race.
