Einstein And Oppernheimer

Einstein&Oppenheimer
The letter that launched the arms race. A warning to President Roosevelt of the possibility of constructing "extremely powerful bombs of a new type" with hints that the German government might be doing just that. Addressed and dated Peconic, Long Island, August 2nd 1939, it was most likely written by Leo Szilard, the scientist who invented the chain reaction. Nevertheless, Einstein took full responsibility for its consequences, calling it "the greatest mistake" of his life.

The fourth letter to FDR was also proposed and drafted by Leo Szilard. In it Einstein proposed that the President hear Szilard's views about setting policies for the A-bomb. Einstein told FDR that it was Szilard who first raised the possibility of nuclear weapons and that this had led Einstein to write the first letter in August 1939. Einstein said that Szilard and other scientists were interested in communicating their views about policy to members of FDR's cabinet and that it wa...