Albert Einstein wrote a letter in 1939 urging President Roosevelt to prioritize nuclear research. This letter recently sold for $3.9 million at an auction. Christie This letter, which played a key role in the development of the atomic bomb, was originally addressed to the US President, highlighting the serious potential of nuclear weapons and the urgent need for American involvement.
A warning that changed history
The original letter, now part of the collection of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library in New York, was an attempt by Einstein to warn President Roosevelt that Germany might develop nuclear weapons. In the letter, Einstein discussed recent breakthroughs in nuclear physics, stating that uranium could become “a new and important source of energy” and warned that this energy could be used to create “extremely powerful bombs.”
Einstein and his fellow physicist Leo Szilard fled Europe due to the rise of Adolf Hitler. Einstein’s letter helped persuade the US government to accelerate its research on nuclear fission, resulting in the Manhattan Project and eventually the development of atomic bombs.
Peter Clarnet, senior specialist for American history, books and manuscripts at Christie’s, described the letter as “one of the most influential letters in history. Written in the summer of 1939, it set the stage for the nuclear arms race and changed the course of war and human history.”
according to Business InsiderThe copy auctioned was the only one in private hands, previously owned by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, who bought it for $2.1 million in 2002. Prior to that, it was part of the collection of publisher Malcolm Forbes, acquired from the estate of Leo Szilard.
Einstein’s “great mistake”
Although Einstein played a key role in advancing the US nuclear program, he later expressed deep regret. He described his involvement in the development of nuclear weapons as his “one big mistake”. After the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, Einstein reportedly exclaimed “Woe is me”, recognizing the immense human suffering these weapons would cause.
