Britannica
Sources used in this answer
- Trinity test: Top Questions
- Manhattan Project: Top Questions
- nuclear weapon - Founding the Manhattan Project
- nuclear strategy - The atomic bomb and American strategic thought
- Manhattan Project - Creation of the U.S. atomic weapons program
- atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki - The American atomic program takes shape
Why was the Manhattan Project created during World War II?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
atomic bomb
The first atomic bomb test, near Alamogordo, New Mexico, July 16, 1945.
The Manhattan Project was established during World War II to develop an atomic bomb by exploiting the process of nuclear fission for military purposes.123
The project was driven by several critical factors:
- Fear of Nazi Germany: In 1939, scientists—many of whom were refugees from fascist regimes—became aware of advancements in nuclear research. They were deeply concerned that Nazi Germany might successfully develop a nuclear weapon, especially after learning that uranium reserves in Czechoslovakia had fallen under German control.234
- Scientific Advocacy: Physicists including Leo Szilard and Eugene Wigner persuaded Albert Einstein to alert U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt to the potential danger and the necessity of establishing an American nuclear research program.24
- Strategic Necessity: Following the U.S. entry into the war in December 1941, the government committed to a massive, multi-faceted effort to secure fissionable materials and design a functional weapon, eventually involving over 100,000 people and extensive industrial infrastructure.534