Oppenheimer-2

As WWI progresses in Europe at tremendous cost to human life, the United States sinks a greatly increased amount of capital into the development of new weapons that could potentially force an end to the war sooner, resulting in swifter Allied victory and lower Central casualties before a ceasefire is finally declared, potentially circumnavigating the necessity of American troops being drafted into the conflict altogether. Multiple scientists are commissioned for work on a top secret weapons program headed by the United States government in early 1915. Included among them are Ernest Rutherford, Hans Geiger, Nikola Tesla, James Chadwick and Albert Einstein. Capitalizing on the work of the late Henri Becquerel and the burgeoning science of particle physics, rapid technological advances are made far earlier than were seen in our universe. Originally focusing on the idea of the creation and mass-production of radiological weapons in the form of radioactive dusts and gases that could be used against Central forces (somewhat similar to chemical weapons such as chlorine and mustard gas) by being sprayed from above by a biplane, as research progresses the emphasis switches to atomic-powered detonations. On December 7th, 1915, a test of a crude nuclear device occurs successfully in the deserts of Socorro, New Mexico, marking the first creation and use of a working atomic weapon nearly a full 30 years earlier than it occurred in our universe. Codenamed “The Gold Foil Project”, the first test successfully detonates an implosion-design nuclear device that utilizes Uranium to create a 5 kiloton yield explosion (1/4th of the power of the Trinity nuclear test and 1/3rd the power of the Little Boy atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in our universe in 1945). The successful test is witnessed by the staff of scientists involved in its creation as well as President Woodrow Wilson. More weapons are immediately commissioned, and ultimately an 8 kiloton yield bomb is developed for intended use in the European theater.