What If Hitler Built The Atomic Bomb First

Uncover the untold story of Nazi Germany's race to develop the world's first atomic bomb in this intriguing historical analysis. Delve into the early discoveries by German scientists Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassman, and the subsequent lack of a focused nuclear research program under Hitler's regime. Learn how Allied forces, including Colonel Borish Pash's ALSOS units, pursued Nazi scientists to thwart the potential nuclear threat. Join us as we explore the hypothetical scenarios had Hitler succeeded, examining the delivery challenges and geopolitical factors that might have unfolded. Subscribe for more military analysis and share your thoughts in the comments below!

#themilitaryshow

[arthurschildgen]

Terrifying to think how easily WW2 could have gone so badly.

[Hellfrg]

Hitler was always looking for the "Wunderwaffe"
Fortunately he missed this one

[neilturner]

Not sure where the narrators comment that “public fear gripped the West” (in case Germany developed the bomb first) came from. Outside an exclusive and relatively small group of people, no-one had a clue about nuclear weapons until war’s end.

[londonderrry]

The Germans spent 1/1000th of the money for nuclear research that was employed by the Manhattan Project. If they had chosen differently and made better decisions, then it's safe to say that they would have invested in a delivery vehicle such as a modified He-177, etc. What would have happened in those circumstances... who knows?

[jackperry]

Tell ya what. That b29 is such a gorgeous airplane.

[aloysiusbelisarius]

This had been a popular "What-If" speculative scenario since the end of the war. For decades people were asking, "What if...?" I can't believe that question is still bantered today, given that all the facts of that history have already been revealed.

[Cdearle]

Even if they had thrown all their resources into the task, the Germans could not have produced an atom bomb in 1940 or 41, just a couple of years after the concept of nuclear weapons had been conceived.

[goobfilmcast]

Had Hitler been less impatient and gave Germany another 2 years to add more U-boats, the War in Europe may have had a different outcome. Hitler's dumbest mistake however, was to invade Russia. He could have solidified his gains in the west. Russia was bound by treaty obligations to NOT attack the Nazis. Stalin would have been happy to use his part of Poland to create massive barriers to thwart a German invasion from the West (built with Polish slave labor, of course). He wouldn't have lifted a finger to help Europe.

[CJ-ggex]

Great video, great content. Deserves way more views

[stephenevans]

You've failed to mention Tube Alloys and the letter from Einstein to Roosevelt

[JagdtygerA]

The SS also had an atomic program and their reactors used parafin as a moderator and their design did not use a spherical core but something the US later dubbed a "swan device" whoch was based on a double ended shaped xharge and much less fissile material. Our W-45 and W-85 devices use this method and weigh only a gew hundred kilograms

[popeye]

Fun fact: the development and deployment of the B-29 was the most expensive military project of WWII costing twice as much as the Manhattan project by itself.

[seanbrazell]

The what if that would have made for an unimaginably different post war environment that always fascinated and horrified me most is what would have happened if Japan surrendered early but Hitler was still in a pre D-day equivalent of control when the Manhattan Project succeeds and is ready for use.

[stupidpdj]

Uranium-236 (236U) is an isotope of uranium that is neither fissile with thermal neutrons, nor very good fertile material, but is generally considered a nuisance and long-lived radioactive waste. It is found in spent nuclear fuel and in the reprocessed uranium made from spent nuclear fuel. Thus, the starter isotope for nuclear fussion is U-235, not U236. "Thin Man"? It was Fat Man.

[blahdblah]

6:27 This figure has a critical typo and the description also leaves out some details that are worth saying. The reaction is U-235 + n -> U-236, not the other way around (d’oh). Also, it’s sort of misleading to refer to U-236 in this way because it’s highly stable in its ground state. It never really forms in the fission case. Sometimes it does form but with excess energy that causes it to de-excite to the ground state by emitting gamma rays (photons within a range of energy much larger than the visible range). The fission fragments have excess kinetic energy and they ionize the material they are in (other U-235 atoms to start with and some other stuff, then air, the ground, etc) which creates electrons that ionize too. Gamma rays are also produced. The fission process is messy. Eventually, and it doesn’t take long, the energy is spread out macroscopically as “heat”. This process results in the things you see (gamma flash, shockwave, fireball) from a fission bomb.

[corz]

11:56 thats kiess castle, in very northern scotland, did not expect to see that there 🥶🥶

[charleskuss]

depends on your definition of "win"

[Olaf-Lingen]

The Town is Called "Heidelberg" not "Hiedelberg" ^^

[Kelnx]

- If Germany went the nuclear route, they would easily have built an aircraft for it. That's the easiest part of this scenario.

- Germany would have had to begin a full nuclear weapons program by 1936 with the first pile, beginning large scale uranium enrichment by 1937, and first operating reactor by 1938.

- Germany would have to have enriched enough weapons grade Uranium (>90% U235) by 1942 to begin testing and development of weapons as well as enough to build 5-10 bombs.

- Luftwaffe would have to win the Battle of Britain. This means focusing on British airfields and never commencing The Blitz.

- With full air superiority, Germany must decimate the Royal Navy and encircle Britain with a bigger uboat fleet to remove Britain from the board. Invasion not necessary.

- Germany MUST NOT invade the Soviet Union in 1941. There are many reasons why they felt they had to, expecting Stalin to attack probably by 1944 with a stronger military so this is a gamble.

- Germany kicks off invasion of Soviet Union in 1943 with nuclear strikes on Moscow (with Stalin and his command as primary targets) and any high value targets they have the weapons for.

- IF Stalin is killed and a similar leader isn't available to take control, it is possible the SU would capitulate. If Stalin or a similar leader survives then the SU will continue the fight.

With all of that, and it's a lot and borderline impossible, there is still no guarantee how things play out with the Soviet Union unless they capitulate early. And then there is the US to consider in this scenario. There is a near zero chance that the US would not have gotten wind of the Nazi nuclear weapons program by late 1938 at the latest considering how massive it would have to be. Which means the Manhattan Project (or similar) would have started much sooner. It would make an interesting book or TV series.

[ajosralastname]

Wasn't the nuclear bomb a wondermuffin also?