18. Germany Surrendered Before America Had The Bomb
America’s atomic program began with a letter from Albert Einstein to FDR advising him of German research into atomic weapons, and the danger should Hitler get an atomic bomb first. So throughout the war, the US saw its atomic program as a life-and-death race to beat Germany to the atomic punch. The entire goal of the Manhattan Project was to develop atomic bombs to drop on Germany before Germany developed atomic bombs to drop on America and her allies.
However, Germany surrendered unconditionally on May 8th, 1945. The first atomic bomb was successfully tested on July 16th, 1945, more than two months after Germany’s surrender. Germany was fortunate to have surrendered before the Manhattan Project bore the fruits that had been intended for Germany all along.