of the ammonia synthesis showed that an important component in this
progression had already been achieved, built of course upon the earlier work
by himself and Robert Le Rossignol—whose contribution he always publicly
acknowledged;
This is the method that was carried through first on a small scale and is now
being applied on a large scale … and I cannot emphasise enough the valuable
aid of your countryman Robert Le Rossignol who was working with me on this
question … The Badische Analin and Soda Company have taken over and
further developed our results. Starting from the observation that contaminations in certain cases increase the catalytic activity in such heterogeneous
reactions, they have been able to raise the activity of poorer catalysts to that of
osmium and uranium. The result was only obtained after a careful study of the
influence of small impurities, some of which are useful while others, even when
present in the smallest traces, act as poisons. They overcame certain difficulties
in the construction of high-pressure furnaces which became apparent by prolonged working. They developed the purification methods for the hydrogen
which became necessary with the replacement of our electrolytic gas by the
impure hydrogen from coal. It seems the task of managing the process on the
largest scale has now been carried through satisfactorily …
In this passage of considerable understatement, he revealed that the ‘problem
of the catalyst’ had been solved, ‘certain difficulties’ with the high-pressure
furnaces had been overcome, and sufficiently pure hydrogen could be produced from Germany’s abundantly available coal reserves. Unsurprisingly, no
details were disclosed, but his message was clear; in Germany, the technology
that he and Le Rossignol had created now formed the beating heart of this
most important industrial process.
12.7 Finally, Sarajevo 28 June 1914
Historians have long studied the causes of the first world war. Indeed, it is one
of the most studied areas in all of world history and scholars have differed
considerably in their interpretation of the event. But there seems little doubt
that what triggered the war was the assassinations of the Archduke Franz
Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophie in the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo.
The Archduke—heir apparent to the Austria-Hungary empire but unloved
even in his own country—had travelled there as Inspector General of the
army to review manoeuvres on the invitation of the Austrian governor of
Bosnia, General Oskar Potiorek. Sarajevo was the capital of Bosnia
12 Berlin 1911–1914
235
progression had already been achieved, built of course upon the earlier work
by himself and Robert Le Rossignol—whose contribution he always publicly
acknowledged;
This is the method that was carried through first on a small scale and is now
being applied on a large scale … and I cannot emphasise enough the valuable
aid of your countryman Robert Le Rossignol who was working with me on this
question … The Badische Analin and Soda Company have taken over and
further developed our results. Starting from the observation that contaminations in certain cases increase the catalytic activity in such heterogeneous
reactions, they have been able to raise the activity of poorer catalysts to that of
osmium and uranium. The result was only obtained after a careful study of the
influence of small impurities, some of which are useful while others, even when
present in the smallest traces, act as poisons. They overcame certain difficulties
in the construction of high-pressure furnaces which became apparent by prolonged working. They developed the purification methods for the hydrogen
which became necessary with the replacement of our electrolytic gas by the
impure hydrogen from coal. It seems the task of managing the process on the
largest scale has now been carried through satisfactorily …
In this passage of considerable understatement, he revealed that the ‘problem
of the catalyst’ had been solved, ‘certain difficulties’ with the high-pressure
furnaces had been overcome, and sufficiently pure hydrogen could be produced from Germany’s abundantly available coal reserves. Unsurprisingly, no
details were disclosed, but his message was clear; in Germany, the technology
that he and Le Rossignol had created now formed the beating heart of this
most important industrial process.
12.7 Finally, Sarajevo 28 June 1914
Historians have long studied the causes of the first world war. Indeed, it is one
of the most studied areas in all of world history and scholars have differed
considerably in their interpretation of the event. But there seems little doubt
that what triggered the war was the assassinations of the Archduke Franz
Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophie in the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo.
The Archduke—heir apparent to the Austria-Hungary empire but unloved
even in his own country—had travelled there as Inspector General of the
army to review manoeuvres on the invitation of the Austrian governor of
Bosnia, General Oskar Potiorek. Sarajevo was the capital of Bosnia
12 Berlin 1911–1914
235