I also wanted to add that although I chose a specific example from WWII, I agree with you that this dynamic I am taking about ended up not being a decisive fact

I also wanted to add that although I chose a specific example from WWII, I agree with you that this dynamic I am taking about ended up not being a decisive factor in the war. I would argue that this dynamic was one reason we got the bomb first- and that the leadership and culture of the Manhattan project was uniquely effective, and the culture persists today in the USA national labs to great effect, but the bomb also happened too late to be a factor.