Overview

The Manhattan Project ushered in the nuclear age, and with it the concept of international relations and war changed forever. Humankind now had the ability not only to destroy nations and civilizations but to end life as we know it on the planet.

Background

During the years immediately following the First World War, Germany became the center for the study of physics. The most important work in the area of atomic energy was carried on in German universities, especially at the University of Berlin. The most important people in the field traveled to Germany to study, teach, and attend symposiums. Among the many scientists who were to have an impact on the study of atomic energy with this German connection was the Danish physicist Niels Bohr (1885-1962), who would...