The Manhattan Project

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the Manhattan Project, describing its historical development and the political and diplomatic relations which it entailed. The fear of the Nazi's developing an atom bomb is considered one of the motivating reasons for the US speeding up its nuclear fission program. The paper further mentions how the US shared or did not share its research with its allies. The paper then describes some technical aspects of the research. The actual deployment of the bomb is discussed and how it contributed to the Cold War between the US and USSR. The paper concludes with the negative consequences of the Manhattan Project, including the tremendous loss of life caused by detonating two atomic bombs.

From the Paper:

"American research in the field of nuclear physics had been progressing in a rather unsystematic manner. The British were interested in finding out about the American work. To this aim, they did not hesitate in what including atomic information in the exchanges of technical information and scientific missions that were going on in the beginning of the 1940s. This interchange of scientific information was very important; proof of its importance is that face that one of the documents forwarded to the United States was the Thomson Committee Report. This document stated the feasibility of an atomic bomb and led to the British decision to become involved in such a project; also, it represented an important factor that influenced the U.S. follow the same path and become involved. This was followed by an offer issued in October, 1941 by President Roosevelt to Winston Churchill for cooperation in relation to the project. After the agreement, the next step in the evolution of the project was a division of labor."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Hewlett, Richard G; Anderson, Oscar E. The New World, 1939/1946. Volume 1: A History of the United States Atomic Energy Commission. Pennsylvania State University Press: 1962
• Wikipedia. American Exceptionalism. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_exceptionalism>
• Wikipedia. The Manhattan Project. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manhattan_Project#Early_U.S._and_U.K._research>

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