George Koval: The Soviet Spy Who Infiltrated the Manhattan Project
Introduction
George Abramovich Koval (1913–2006), codenamed "Delmar," remains one of the most enigmatic and impactful figures in Cold War espionage...
Early Life: From Iowa to the Soviet Union
Roots in Sioux City
Koval was born on December 25, 1913, in Sioux City, Iowa, to Jewish immigrants from Telekhany, Belarus...
Emigration to Birobidzhan
In 1932, amid the Great Depression and Abram’s growing disillusionment with American capitalism...
Recruitment and Training: The Making of a Spy
GRU’s Sleeper Agent
The GRU, seeking to plant agents with impeccable Western credentials...
Drafted into the U.S. Army
In 1943, Koval was drafted into the U.S. Army, a twist of fate that propelled him...
Infiltration of the Manhattan Project
Oak Ridge: The Uranium Enrichment Hub
In August 1944, Koval was stationed at Oak Ridge, Tennessee...
Dayton: Stealing the "Urchin" Secret
In June 1945, Koval transferred to Dayton, Ohio, where Monsanto Chemical Company...
Impact on the Soviet Nuclear Program
Koval’s data reached physicist Yuli Khariton, director of the Soviet bomb project...
Escape and Obscurity in the USSR
Discharge and Disappearance
Honorably discharged in 1946, Koval completed his degree at CCNY...
Stalin’s Antisemitism and Koval’s Survival
Koval’s return coincided with Stalin’s anti-"cosmopolitan" purges...
Legacy and Historical Reassessment
Posthumous Recognition
Koval’s identity remained classified until 2007, when Russian President Vladimir Putin...
Motivations: Ideology or Survival?
Scholars debate Koval’s motives. Some attribute his actions to ideological conviction...
Comparative Espionage: Koval vs. Fuchs
While Klaus Fuchs (a KGB informant) provided theoretical bomb designs...
Conclusion
George Koval’s story epitomizes the shadowy interplay of ideology, identity...
Sources
1. Wikipedia: George Koval
2. Smithsonian Magazine: "George Koval: Atomic Spy Unmasked"
3. Atomic Heritage Foundation: George Koval Profile
4. Dayton Jewish Observer: "The Soviet Spy Who Stole Atomic Secrets"
5. Cold War Patriots Blog: George Koval, Russian Spy
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