Скачать или смотреть Why Germany's Nuclear Program Failed: Key Mistakes and Missed Chances

The United States, fueled by this fear, invested enormous resources in the Manhattan Project, finally achieving what the Germans could not. But what actually LED Germany to fall so far behind in the nuclear race? There were several reasons, such as, for example, Germany's needs in wartime and its prioritization of other technological advances over nuclear weapons with early successes in the war using conventional weapons and advanced technologies such as jet aircraft and rockets, the German leadership underestimated the need for nuclear weapons. This focus on immediate needs influenced the allocation of resources and scientific talent, hampering the progress of the nuclear program. The German nuclear program faced numerous obstacles that further hampered its progress, starting with the brain drain. The persecution of Jewish scientists by the German Nazi and Italian fascist regimes deprived the program of crucial knowledge. Indeed, many of the scientists who fled Nazism and fascism ended up contributing decisively to the Manhattan Project. German nuclear scientists also made critical miscalculations in their reactor designs, most notably the decision to use heavy water instead of graphite as a moderator. This reliance on heavy water proved to be a strategic mistake, leaving the program vulnerable to allied attacks on the Norse Hydro heavy water plant in Norway.