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AP Success - AP European History: Oppenheimer and the Manhattan Project

Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer was a leading physicist who played a critical role in the Manhattan Project, which developed the world's first atomic bomb during World War II. On July 16, 1945, the project culminated in the first nuclear bomb test at Alamogordo, New Mexico.

Source 1

We knew the world would not be the same. A few people laughed, a few people cried. Most people were silent. I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad-Gita; Vishnu is trying to persuade the Prince that he should do his duty, and to impress him, takes on his multi-armed form and says, 'Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.' I suppose we all thought that, one way or another.

Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer, memories of the first nuclear bomb test.

Question 1

Short answer

Describe one scientific trend in the early 20th century that influenced the events described in the excerpt.

Question 2

Short answer

Describe one way in which the excerpt depicts the uncertainties of the nuclear age.

Question 3

Short answer

Explain one way in which individuals or organizations in the mid-to-late 20th century attempted to bring awareness to the dangers of nuclear weapons.

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