#atomic spies

When news reached Los Alamos of [Alan Nunn] May's arrest, the wife of one of the British scientists commented, "I knew him fairly well. But I don't know how you would describe him. He was like - why, he was rather like Klaus [Fuchs] here." Fuchs, who was later revealed as the most important of the British atomic spies, is said to have smiled politely and commented that he did not think May could have told the Russians anything of real importance.

In the height of the Cold War, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were executed for passing atomic secrets to the Soviets. Their story is a chilling blend of ideological fervor, family betrayal, and political hysteria. Declassified files later revealed a messy truth: Julius was guilty, but Ethel was a tragic pawn.

The Rosenbergs, ulterior motives on both sides.

1953 Anti-communism in the US hits its peak. Despite international protests Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are executed in the electric chair for alleged atomic espionage .