Proyek senjata nuklir Jerman

Proyek senjata nuklir Jerman (; secara tidak resmi dikenal dengan nama Uranverein) adalah upaya pengembangan senjata nuklir oleh Jerman Nazi selama Perang Dunia II. Upaya pertama dilakukan pada April 1939, beberapa bulan setelah penemuan fisi nuklir pada Desember 1938, tetap upaya tersebut diakhiri beberapa bulan kemudian akibat invasi Polandia yang mewamilkan banyak fisikawan.

Upaya kedua dimulai di bawah pengawasan Heereswaffenamt pada 1 September 1939, satu hari setelah Invasi Polandia. Program ini pada akhirnya diperbesar dan terdiri dari tiga proyek utama: Uranmaschine (reaktor nuklir), uranium dan produksi air berat, serta pemisahan isotop uranium. Pada akhirnya, fisi nuklir dianggap tidak akan membantu mengakhiri perang, sehingga pada Januari 1942 Heereswaffenamt menyerahkan tanggungjawab program ini kepada Reichsforschungsrat (Dewan Penelitian Reich) walaupun mereka masih meneruskan pendanaannya. Penelitian lalu dilakukan oleh sembilan institut besar yang memiliki tujuannya masing-masing.

Tokoh Uranverein yang paling penting adalah Kurt Diebner, Abraham Esau, Walther Gerlach, dan Erich Schumann; Schumann adalah salah satu fisikawan paling berpengaruh di Jerman Nazi. Diebner adalah orang yang mengendalikan jalannya penelitian fisi nuklir. Abraham Esau diangkat sebagai kepala penelitian fisika nuklir Hermann Göring pada Desember 1942, sementara Walther Gerlach menggantikannya pada Desember 1943.

Akibat politisasi dunia akademi Jerman oleh rezim Nazi, banyak fisikawan, insinyur dan matematikawan yang melarikan diri dari Jerman semenjak tahun 1933. Ilmuwan-ilmuwan keturunan Yahudi yang tidak meninggalkan Jerman dikeluarkan dari institusi-institusi penelitian, sehingga jumlah ilmuwan semakin berkurang. Politisasi universitas dan kebutuhan sumber daya manusia untuk kebutuhan perang Jerman juga semakin mengurangi jumlah fisikawan yang dapat membantu merampungkan proyek ini.

Setelah berakhirnya Perang Dunia II, negara-negara Sekutu saling bersaing untuk memperoleh komponen-komponen industri nuklir yang masih tersisa (personil, fasilitas dan bahan baku).

Catatan kaki

Bacaan lanjut 

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Program nuklir Jerman Nazi
Teknologi nuklir di Jerman
Senjata nuklir