Einstein–Szilard letter

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The Einstein–Szilard letter was a 1939 letter to U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, drafted by Leo Szilard and signed by Albert Einstein, warning about the potential for Nazi Germany to develop atomic weapons and urging the United States to begin its own nuclear research.

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Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf historical document
letter
addressedTo Franklin D. Roosevelt NERFINISHED
archivedAt Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum
Library of Congress
concerns possibility of extremely powerful bombs
use of uranium as a new source of energy
context discovery of nuclear fission in 1938
rise of Nazi Germany
countryAddressed United States NERFINISHED
date 1939-08-02
documentType typed letter
draftedBy Leo Szilard NERFINISHED
followedBy creation of the Advisory Committee on Uranium
genre political letter
scientific advisory letter
hasAuthor Leo Szilard NERFINISHED
hasSignatory Albert Einstein NERFINISHED
hasTopic industrial production of uranium-based power
military applications of nuclear energy
uranium chain reactions in large masses
historicalPeriod World War II
surface form: World War II era
influenced U.S. nuclear policy
initiation of U.S. atomic bomb research
language English
locationWritten United States NERFINISHED
medium paper
mentions availability of uranium ore
recent work on nuclear fission
motivatedBy fear of Nazi Germany acquiring atomic weapons
notableFor Einstein’s involvement in nuclear weapons policy
prompting U.S. government attention to nuclear fission
proposed U.S. government support for nuclear research
coordination between government and physicists
recipientOffice President of the United States
relatedTo Manhattan Project
atomic bomb development
nuclear fission
requestedAction establishment of contact between Roosevelt and scientists
initiation of U.S. uranium program
signedBy Albert Einstein
subject national security
nuclear chain reactions
nuclear weapons
uranium research
warnedAbout German research on uranium
potential Nazi German atomic bomb
year 1939

Referenced by (2)

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Leo Szilard coAuthored Einstein–Szilard letter
this entity surface form: Einstein–Szilard letter to Franklin D. Roosevelt
Leo Szilard knownFor Einstein–Szilard letter