Albert Einstein In World War II

Albert Einstein, the father of modern physics, was born on March 14, 1879, at Ulm in Württemberg, Germany. A couple of weeks later, him and his family moved to Munich, where he began his schooling at the Luitpold Gymnasium. They moved to Italy later and Einstein continued his education at Aarau, Switzerland. In 1896 he went to Swiss Federal Polytechnic School in Zurich where he trained to be a teacher in physics and mathematics. In 1901, he obtained his diploma and acquired his Swiss citizenship. Although he was unable to find a teaching post, he took up a position as a technical assistant in the Swiss Patent Office. In 1905 he obtained his doctor’s degree. He was born into a Jewish family but since there were no Jewish schools near by, he attended a Catholic elementary school. He didn’t show signs of genius until his later years of life. He was slower than most kids, he did not learn to talk as fast as other kids. His parents worried about his personality: his shyness, lack of friends, poor academics, etc. Einstein did not like strict, rigid rules hence his teachers concluded that he wasn’t intelligent. By the 19th century, two pillars of physics existed: Newton’s Law of Motion and Maxwell’s theory of light. Einstein was the only one who realized the disparities between the two and concluded that one of them must fall. He later went on to develop the theory of relativity and quantum physics along with the famous atomic bomb.

In 1906, Einstein “made an astonishing announcement: matter and energy are essentially the same thing, but in different forms. Furthermore, matter can be changed into energy. In a handwritten paper that he submitted to a physics journal, the scientist expressed his idea in a brief equation: E = mc2 (Energy is equal to mass multiplied by the velocity, or speed of light, squared)”(Sherrow). This equation is what came to be known as the theory of special relativity, which explains how space and time are interlinked for objects that move at a constant speed in a straight line. In basic words, once an object approaches the speed of light, it’s mass is infinite and it can’t go any faster than light travels. After adding finishing touches to his theory, Einstein spent a decade considering what were to happen if he introduced the concept of acceleration. This was the basis of his general theory of relativity which was published in 1915; it showed that energy(E) and mass(m) are transposable. Meaning that if mass in some way converted to energy, it exhibits how much energy was in that mass to begin with. This famous equation is one of the many manifestations for why the atomic bomb is such a powerful weapon, once mass is transformed into an explosion. The speed of light(c), is the fastest speed at which an object can move through the universe in a vacuum. A very special circumstance in the universe is called “quantum entanglement,” which is a rather confusing concept to understand as it involves quantum particles communicating with each other at a velocity faster than the speed of light. Another thing that can be concluded from Einstein’s work is that time progresses relative to the observer. An object that is in motion goes through time expansion, meaning that relative to the observer times moves slowly when someone is moving. Hence, Scott Kelly, the astronaut, aging slower than this brother.

Einstein also conversed with the visionary Rabindranath Tagore the question of whether consciousness affects one’s existence. “It was interesting to see them together—Tagore, the poet with the head of a thinker, and Einstein, the thinker with the head of a poet. It seemed to an observer as though two planets were engaged in a chat”(Calaprice and Einstein). In 1932, Einstein decided to leave Germany forever because it became too obvious that his life was in danger. Soon after he settled at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton, New Jersey, which soon became known as the mecca for physicists from around the world. Newspaper articles announced that the “pope of physics” was no longer in Germany and that the institute which was in Princeton was the new Vatican. During the late 1930s, many other physicists began considering the notion that his equation E = mc2 would most likely make the concept of atomic bomb possible. In 1920, Einstein himself considered this idea but dismissed its possibility. He however left the option open to other physicists in case they found a way to magnify the power of an atom. Time went by and after 10-11 years in 1938–39, Otto Hahn, Fritz Strassmann, Lise Meitner, and Otto Frisch demonstrated that expansive amounts of energy could be released if the uranium atom was split. This news galvanized the physics community.

In 1939, another physicist, named Leo Szilard, persuaded Einstein that he should write to the President of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt, beseeching him to come about creating the atomic bomb. On August 2nd, Szilard drafted a letter to the President which Einstein signed and it was delivered to the President himself two months later in October. President Roosevelt replied to his letter, letting Einstein know that he had assembled a committee called the Uranium Committee to review the issue. Although he wasn’t asked to be a part of the famous Manhattan Project due to the U.S government keeping numerous amount of files on him and suspecting his socialist and pacifist views. The creation of the atomic bomb was probably the most crucial and important part of history. According to Andrew Roberts, who is an author and an expert in Anglo-American history, “The single best decision of the war wasn’t actually taken in the Second World War. It was taken just a few days or weeks earlier. It was Roosevelt’s decision to take Einstein’s advice about building a nuclear bomb”(Rees). Rees, argues that there was news that the Germans might be developing a weapon but the events that took place in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, really sealed the deal in the United States and the allies winning the war.

For some, the creation of the atomic bomb was a mistake and an error that can’t be reversed. In my opinion, it’s the creation and it’s execution was necessary, had it not been for the atomic bomb, the United States as we know it today, would have been in control of the Japanese and out living, eating, economic, etc styles would have been similar to those of in Japan. People say that history can’t be re-written, and maybe it should stay that way. Come to think of it, I wouldn’t change the history; the creation of the atomic bomb, the dropping of it on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the war, nothing. Not many believe in a higher being or a higher power, but I do. I think that God has pre-written everything and regardless of how much we try to avoid something, it ends up taking place anyway. No matter how much we try and change history or avoid creating the bomb, it would have happened regardless. Germany would have made it and dropped it on the United States for all we know or the United States would have dropped it on Germany and many cities would have been wiped out. As mentioned in the previous paragraphs, Andrew Roberts also happens to agree with that I just stated above. He says, “Events at Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 certainly support this assertion. Had the bomb been ready to use before Nazi Germany surrendered, ‘it would have led to European cities being obliterated’”(Rees). He also explains that the best decision of the war wasn’t taken while the war was being fought but actually a couple of days before. World War II had a huge impact on Einstein’s life which caused him to alter his beliefs and this affected him in both his personal and political life. If I myself had to go through such a situation, my life would have a huge impact too and I might change everything, especially things I believe in and how much effort I put into my work. Even though he supported the creation and the research that went behind in creating the bomb, he later went on to realize just how dangerous it is and felt a sense of guilt until his death. If i was in his place, I would’ve done the same thing too. I would’ve signed that letter and sent it to the President knowing that it would help my country. It’s a different story that I would feel guilty about the lives that were lost and that it brought about so much destruction.

To conclude, I would not change a thing about the history, I would leave it just the way it is because paradoxes and different time lines can be created if history is played around with. Einstein is a brilliant and a phenomenal physicist and scientist who’s knowledge and dedication to his research and study has given the world was is known as modern-day physics. There will always be only one Albert Einstein. His thought process and the way he did things, has changed the world for the better. The creation of the atomic bomb was a crucial part in history taking its course. It is said that Einstein was working on a new project that no one knew about and on his deathbed, he spoke to his nurse, who was American, in German telling her about this project but since she didn’t speak his language, his work is forever lost.

Works Cited

1. Einstein, Albert, and Alice Calaprice. The Ultimate Quotable Einstein. Princeton University Press, 2013.
2. Rees, Laurence. “What Was the War’s Best Decision?” World War II, vol. 30, no. 2, July 2015, pp. 50–57. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=fth&AN=102871355&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
3. Sherrow, Victoria. “Einstein, Albert.” Albert Einstein, Facts On File, 2014. Modern World History, online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=17310&itemid=WE53&articleId=203296. Accessed 9 Aug. 2019.