Hitler's Goal
Hitler's Secret Science, 2010
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"A sensible builder will try to keep his architect informed of his purpose. Hitler left me in no doubt that our grandiose blueprints, which also stemmed from 1936, were for projects to glorify world domination, the first small step towards which was taken on September 1, 1939." |
THESIS
The Nazi nuclear program was a turning point in history. The failure of the program spared the world from facing Hitler with a nuclear bomb. Fear of a German nuclear bomb inspired and accelerated the Allies' nuclear program to success, starting the nuclear era.
"I am sure that Hitler would not have hesitated for a moment to deploy atom bombs against England. I remember his reaction to a newsreel on the bombing of Warsaw in the autumn of 1939... Hitler was fascinated. The film ended with a montage of a plane flying toward the outline of the British Isles. A burst of flame followed, and the Island flew into the air in tatters. Hitler's enthusiasm was unbounded. 'That is what will happen to them!' he cried out, carried away. 'That is how we will annihilate them!!" |
"We knew what efforts the Germans were making. What if the enemy should get an atomic bomb before we did! However skeptical one might feel about the assertions of scientists...we could not run the mortal risk of being outstripped in this awful sphere." |
GERMANY leads the world in nuclear science
The German nuclear program was geared for success. Germany had the best scientists in the world, a strong industry and the resources needed from their European conquests. However, by the end of WWII, the Allies had nuclear weapons and all the Germans had were failed reactors. What caused such a turn of events?
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Student Interview with Professor Noel Pugach Ph.D
University of New Mexico History Department |
Daniel West, Alyssa West, Joseph West
Junior Group Webpage NHD 2013 |