These fears were particularly acute in Great Britain and in Germany, who
together were the largest importers of fixed nitrogen. Germany’s population
had grown from 25 million in 1800 to 55 million in 1900 and of all the
imperial European nations, she was probably the most susceptible to a naval
blockade which could have easily deprived her of her most essential imports in
wartime. Of all the nations capable of achieving such a blockade the British
were supreme with the most powerful fleet in the world, and Anglo-German
tension had risen considerably at the turn of the century because of the Boer
War
8 in South Africa. For Germany therefore, investment in vessels such as
the Potosi and Preussen was a national necessity and as a consequence, the
beginning of the 20th century saw Germany overtake Great Britain to become
the world’s largest importer of Chilean nitrate. It’s not surprising therefore that
Germany’s efforts to find new sources of fixed nitrogen were acute.
5
3.2 Haber’s Introduction to the Nitrogen
Problem
The maiden voyage of Preussen probably ‘passed Haber by’. In just two weeks
time he was to leave Germany on his sixteen-week tour of the USA (Chap. 2)
and he was probably far too preoccupied with his preparations to take much
notice of the event. Indeed, Haber had already proved to be conspicuously
relaxed on the matter of Germany’s nitrogen vulnerability. In May 1899 Carl
Engler, rector of Karlsruhe’s university, opened a new building at the
Technische Hochschule and dedicated it with a speech that reflected not only
the concerns that were emerging in Germany but also the clarion call of an
international giant of science, Sir William Crookes
9 who, in his presidential
address to the British Association for the Advancement of Science a year
earlier had exhorted science to come to the aid of the world’s populations and
avert a human catastrophe. Crookes did not mince his words;
England and all civilised nations stand in deadly peril of not having enough to
eat. As mouths multiply, food resources dwindle. Land is a limited quantity,
and the land that will grow wheat is absolutely dependent on difficult and
capricious natural phenomena… I hope to point a way out of the colossal
dilemma. It is the chemist who must come to the rescue of the threatened
communities. It is through the laboratory that starvation may ultimately be
turned into plenty… The fixation of atmospheric nitrogen is one of the great
discoveries, awaiting the genius of chemists!
82
D. Sheppard
together were the largest importers of fixed nitrogen. Germany’s population
had grown from 25 million in 1800 to 55 million in 1900 and of all the
imperial European nations, she was probably the most susceptible to a naval
blockade which could have easily deprived her of her most essential imports in
wartime. Of all the nations capable of achieving such a blockade the British
were supreme with the most powerful fleet in the world, and Anglo-German
tension had risen considerably at the turn of the century because of the Boer
War
8 in South Africa. For Germany therefore, investment in vessels such as
the Potosi and Preussen was a national necessity and as a consequence, the
beginning of the 20th century saw Germany overtake Great Britain to become
the world’s largest importer of Chilean nitrate. It’s not surprising therefore that
Germany’s efforts to find new sources of fixed nitrogen were acute.
5
3.2 Haber’s Introduction to the Nitrogen
Problem
The maiden voyage of Preussen probably ‘passed Haber by’. In just two weeks
time he was to leave Germany on his sixteen-week tour of the USA (Chap. 2)
and he was probably far too preoccupied with his preparations to take much
notice of the event. Indeed, Haber had already proved to be conspicuously
relaxed on the matter of Germany’s nitrogen vulnerability. In May 1899 Carl
Engler, rector of Karlsruhe’s university, opened a new building at the
Technische Hochschule and dedicated it with a speech that reflected not only
the concerns that were emerging in Germany but also the clarion call of an
international giant of science, Sir William Crookes
9 who, in his presidential
address to the British Association for the Advancement of Science a year
earlier had exhorted science to come to the aid of the world’s populations and
avert a human catastrophe. Crookes did not mince his words;
England and all civilised nations stand in deadly peril of not having enough to
eat. As mouths multiply, food resources dwindle. Land is a limited quantity,
and the land that will grow wheat is absolutely dependent on difficult and
capricious natural phenomena… I hope to point a way out of the colossal
dilemma. It is the chemist who must come to the rescue of the threatened
communities. It is through the laboratory that starvation may ultimately be
turned into plenty… The fixation of atmospheric nitrogen is one of the great
discoveries, awaiting the genius of chemists!
82
D. Sheppard