Race for Atomic Bomb (04:09)

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Imagine if the Soviet Union launched weapons of mass destruction toward the United States during the Cuba Missile Crisis. Three landmark events contribute to the Manhattan Project: Germany launching the Uranium Project, Albert Einstein writing a letter to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and bombing Hiroshima. After the Reichstag was set on fire, the Nazis rise in prominence; Adolf Hitler conquers several European countries capturing their nuclear resources.

Memory of Humanity (04:04)

If the Third Reich succeeded in building an atomic bomb, Nazis would have destroyed London, Moscow, and Stalingrad. Germany conducts invades Norway to obtain heavy water. Einstein warns Roosevelt that German scientists will soon create the atomic bomb.

Turning Point in History (04:32)

If Einstein did not send the letter, the Soviet Union most likely would have conducted the first nuclear weapon test. The Uranium Committee transforms into the Manhattan project, led by General Leslie Groves and Robert Oppenheimer. Learn about the contributions of the Oak Ridge, Hanford, and Los Alamos sites.

Creating the First Atomic Bomb (04:14)

The United States conducts "The Trinity Test," detonating the first nuclear bomb. Learn about the physics behind nuclear fission, "Little Boy," and "Fat Man." The U.S. Navy bombards the coast of Japan in 1945.

World War II (04:00)

President Harold Truman demands Japan surrender or he will drop the atomic bomb. Learn about the voyage of the Enola Gay to drop the weapon of mass destruction on Hiroshima. When Japan refuses to capitulate, a second bomb is dropped on Nagasaki.

Aftermath of World War II (04:21)

The Soviet Union and U.S. enter into the Cold War. Stalin launches his own nuclear program; spies recover German documents and scientists before Russians can obtain the intelligence. Einstein never forgave himself for sending the letter to President Roosevelt.