Scientists and World War I

When World War I began, Fritz Haber didn't stay on the sidelines. Unlike his close friend, the world-renowned scientist Albert Einstein, who condemned the militaristic aggression of the Second Reich, Haber supported it. He was one of the initiators of the so-called Manifesto of the Ninety-Three, an open letter by German scientists supporting the war. Soon after the start of hostilities, he led the chemical department of the German military ministry, disagreeing with his anti-war scientific colleagues. Haber was the author of the famous phrase, "In peacetime, a scientist belongs to the world, but in wartime, he belongs to his country." For his contributions to the German military industry, Kaiser Wilhelm II honored him with the rank of captain, although he was exempt from military service due to his age.

In 1918, Fritz Haber received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the Haber process, despite protests from parts of the scientific community.