"The Manhattan Project" (historical context)

The Manhattan Project was a secret U.S. government research initiative during World War II aimed at developing the first nuclear weapons. Beginning in 1942, it brought together leading scientists, including Robert Oppenheimer and Enrico Fermi, in response to fears that Nazi Germany was working on similar technology. The project culminated in the creation of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, which played a significant role in ending the war. The Manhattan Project marked a pivotal moment in science and warfare, fundamentally changing global political dynamics and leading to the nuclear age.