Hunting Heisenberg: Capturing Germany's Atomic Secrets

The Alsos Mission, a joint US-UK secret team of nuclear experts was sent in 1945 to track down top German physicist Werner Heisenberg and the scientists and technology creating Germany's atomic weapons programme. It was a race against time, as the Allies were worried that the German's might develop an atomic weapon before the Manhattan Project.
A great many thanks to the Hoover Institution Library and Archives at Stanford University for allowing me to use the Alsos Mission films for this video (Boris T. Pash Papers, Reels 1-4: "Alsos Mission Films")

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Thanks: Hoover Institution Library & Archives, Stanford University

[MyLateralThawts]

How bizarrely appropriate that there was so much “uncertainty” regarding Heisenberg and the German atomic weapons program.

[julianh]

My former High School is named after Heisenberg. Great video. Greetings from Germany

[russell]

Wife hears intro music and says....really, Mark Felton again?

[hawaiianbiceps]

Hitler cared so much about wonder weapons except the one that really mattered.

[CRPhunter]

Mark your videos are God’s blessing to the internet please keep up the amazing interesting videos

[warpartyattheoutpost]

The differences between countries' technological developments during wartime is fascinating! Thanks for another great video!

[overworlder]

‘Heisenberg still on the loose’!

Quote of the week!

[honkhonk]

Waltuh. Im not working for the Germans Waltuh. Im not a Nazi right now.

[xatan]

Who needs the history channel when you can learn actual history for free.

[psleep]

I’m so happy I came across this channel. I grew up at a Manhattan Project site. My grandfather, mom and I all worked there. I’ve always been proud of my family’s service. My grandfather was a reactor operator on the reactor that produced the plutonium for the bomb dropped on Nagasaki. Thank you for these videos.

[BigCrowdProductions]

I remember in 2008 watching hour-long documentaries on the History Channel with my uncle after he got back from Afghanistan. Then there was a long absence of great historical documentary shows. However, your channel has finally brought back those great memories. Thank you so much, Mark. I really appreciate your videos.

[Jagdpanther]

Germany: wow look at all this uranium!

*US, Britain Want to know your location*

[SupesMe]

This is the most detailed thing I’ve ever seen as to whether or not the Germans had nukes. I like how they saturation bombed the facility that the Soviets were trying to reach… It’s like they already knew what was coming

[MrSabram]

Holy s*** dude, where do you get these stories and this footage, absolutely incredible. These stories that I've never heard before and there is actual footage of them doing stuff like digging uranium out of the ground. Keep up the good work

[lucaspoole]

The political maneuvering for atomic secrets on such a deep and complicated level was something I never knew. Thanks Mark, for these most impressive videos! Keep it up!

[mcedd]

Hitler's obsession with strategically pointless 'Wunderwaffe' allowed the Western Allies time to develop the real thing. Although Nazi rocket and jet technology was of major importance post war, a working Atomic Bomb made them all shrink to comparative insignificance.
Another fine and informative video Mark. Thanks!

[pantheonauxilia]

Casually digging and piling up uranium ingots. "It was such great day, I worked so hard that my hair fell off" From a memoir of US pioneer soldier.

[olengagallardo]

If Hitler had it, he would have used it, most likely first on the advancing Red armies of Zukov and Koniev.

[Michael-hexn]

What a scary situation running ahead between advancing and retreating armies trying to capture scientists and uranium. These guys knew the “big picture” of the post-war world.
You present amazing chunks of history Mark. 👍

[shiver_me_timbers]

Absolutely fascinating film Mark and scarey at the same time. Keep em coming Sir.