Posted on 08/05/2009 6:21:13 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson
Gee I didn't think Honda made cars back then.
William L. Shirer, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich
Mr. Churchill to Secretary of State for Air – August 5, 1939
Some weeks ago one of the Sunday papers splashed the story of the immense amount of energy which might be released from uranium by the recently discovered chain of processes which take place when this particular type of atom is split by neutrons. At first sight this might seem to portend the appearance of new explosives of devastating power. In view of this it is essential to realize that there is no danger that this discovery, however great its scientific interest, and perhaps ultimately it practical importance, will lead to results capable of being put into operation on a large scale for several years.
There are indications that tales will be deliberately circulated when international tension becomes acute about the adaptation of this process to produce some terrible new secret explosive, capable of wiping out London. Attempts will no doubt be made by the Fifth Column to induce us by means of this threat to accept another surrender. For this reason it is imperative to state the true position.
First, the best authorities hold that only a minor constituent of uranium is effective in these processes, and that it will be necessary to extract this before large-scale results are possible. This will be a matter of many years. Secondly, the chain process can take place only if the uranium is concentrated in a large mass. As soon as the energy develops it will explode with a mild detonation before any really violent effects can be produced. It might be as good as our present-day explosives, but it is unlikely to produce anything very much more dangerous. Thirdly, these experiments cannot be carried out on a small scale. If they had been successfully done on a big scale (i.e., with the results with which we shall be threatened unless we submit to blackmail) it would be impossible to keep them secret. Fourthly, only a comparatively small amount of uranium in the territories of what used to be Czechoslovakia is under the control of Berlin.
For all these reasons the fear that this new discovery has provided the Nazis with some sinister, new, secret explosive with which to destroy their enemies is clearly without foundation. Dark hints will no doubt be dropped and terrifying whispers will be assiduously circulated, but it is hoped that nobody will be taken in by them.
It is remarkable how accurate this forecast was. Nor was it the Germans who found the path. Indeed they followed the wrong trail, and had actually abandoned the search for the Atomic Bomb in favour or rockets or pilotless aeroplanes at the moment when President Roosevelt and I were taking the decisions and reaching the memorable agreements, which will be describe d in their proper place, for the large-scale manufacture of atomic bombs.
Winston S. Churchill, The Gathering Storm
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The news article hits on two big snags in the negotiations between the Allies and the USSR. First, the Soviets were concerned about having to do all the heavy lifting since, they claimed, Germany was virtually “unassailable” behind the West Wall. Second, the Allies were concerned about the fighting effectiveness of the Red Army in the aftermath of the officer purges. Each side had valid concerns.
While the West Wall was stronger on paper than it was in real life, the Allies had no stomach for attacking Germany from Alsace-Lorraine, as they so clearly showed in September. Thus, the USSR had a genuine concern that they would wind up doing all the fighting.
As for Allied concerns about the effectiveness of the Red Army, the Red Army was actually far worse off than even the Allies realized. I’ve read “Stumbling Colossus: The Red Army on the Eve of WW2” by David Glantz, the preeminent American authority on the Red Army in WW2. He portrays in stark terms just how woefully unprepared the Red Army was from 1939 to 1941. And he makes clear that based on their own internal documents, at the highest levels of command the Soviets knew they had serious problems.
When you add the Polish intransigence about allowing Soviet troops on Polish soil (and for good reason) it should have been apparent to the critical observer that the concept of an Allied/Soviet Pact was a non-starter in 1939. The Non-Aggression Pact should not have been a shock. I guess we’ll read about that in the next few weeks.
The Non-Aggression Pact should not have been a shock. I guess we’ll read about that in the next few weeks.
Oh yeah.
Slow boat to Leningrad?
This was being played up as one of the most important diplomatic missions ever and they took a slow boat?
So the papers did mention the A-Bomb way back then... not just the letter from Einstein?
From October, 1940:
“As an explosive one pound of U-235 would be as destructive as 15,000 tons of TNT.”
http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/01/02/u-235-powerful-new-fuel/
Stalin wasn't going to stop with Germany in 1943, he was going to try to take over all of Europe. So in a way, it probably was a blessing in disguise that Hitler beat him to the punch. Stalin was counting on Hitler focusing on destroying Britain, instead of on attacking Russia.
Until the US Government became serious about actually building a bomb, there was a lot of published material on nuclear physics, much of which discussed the explosive potentialities of fission. A very good read on this subject is Richard Rhodes “The Making of the Atomic Bomb.” He discusses how the US Government had a conundrum on their hands; on the one hand, they didn’t want scientific journals and the science page of the New York Times discussing developments in nuclear research, on the other hand if all of those sources “went dark” it would tip off the Germans that we were building a bomb.
However, enough of nuclear physics and nuclear fission was generally known among the fairly literate and educated populace of the United States. Before the first atomic bomb was dropped 64 years ago today, the crew of Enola Gay were briefed on their mission. They were only told that their bomb was something new in the history of warfare, the most destructive weapon ever made. During the flight Col. Tibbets talked to some of his flight crew, who were wondering exactly what they were carrying. One opined “a chemist’s nightmare,” another offered “a physicist’s nightmare.” Tibbets repiled “not exactly,” which allowed the crew member to put two and two together. He asked Tibbets “Colonel, are we splitting atoms today?” Based on the question Tibbets then disclosed to the entire crew that they were in fact dropping an atomic bomb.
So, the idea that uranium atoms could be split to release energy in a bomb was not totally unknown to the public.
What is interesting about the article is that it mentions the known process of nuclear chain-reaction, which is what makes explosive fission possible, and that only a small portion of uranium (not identified but known as U235) is needed to sustain the chain-reaction.
All Freepers, and really all Americans, should read Rhodes’ book in conjunction with Richard Frank’s “Downfall: The End of the Imperial Japanese Empire” to debunk the leftist lies about the development and use of atomic weapons to end WW2.
You are exactly correct regarding Stalin’s intentions. In the period 1939-1941, the armed forces of the USSR were in no shape to fight the Nazis, and Stalin and his generals all knew it. But they believed they could be ready by 1942 or certainly by 1943. The Non-Aggression Pact was a cynical deal cut by two snakes and it was only a question of which one would strike first. In a way, Barbarossa was in fact a preventive war; if Hitler was going to fight Stalin, he had to do so in 1941 because there would never be a better time.
We must find some way out. By following the Germans we shall go to war and enter it under the least favorable conditions for the Axis, and especially for Italy. Our gold reserves are reduced to almost nothing, as well as our stocks of metals . . . We must avoid war. I propose to the Duce the idea of my meeting with Ribbentrop . . . during which I would attempt to continue discussion of Mussolini’s project for a world conference.
William L. Shirer, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich
It was the worst time for Italy (as if there was going to be a good time) but it was the best and only time for Germany. The Allies began their rearmament cycle later than the Germans, and had greater resources than Germany. In another year, Germany would be hopelessly behind France and Britain and war with them would have been impossible. Same is even more true vis a vis the USSR.
1939-1940 was the only time for Hitler to make war if he was going to do so. Again, most critically thinking people in the West should have realized this. But to relate it back to the purpose of Homer posting these news articles, at the time not everyone could see the outcomes so clearly. Only with the passage of time do the issues crystalize (until such time as some lib whack-job like Gar Alperovitz comes along and re-writes history). I’m sure there are any number of issues today, the outcomes of which should be obvious to critically thinking people. But not that many can really see it, or just don’t want to.
The 0bama regime’s idiotic fiscal policies come to mind; we are headed for a period of stagflation that will make 1974-1980 look like an economic boom.
Cap and Trade will destroy America as a productive industrial power, and for no good reason.
0bamacare will be rationed care.
Open borders will continue to erode the fabric of our society.
I could go on, there are a number of other issues.
100 years from now a prominent Chinese historian will write “The Decline and Fall of the American Empire” with the subtitle “How Could the Americans Have Been So Stupid?”
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