How Codebreaking Shaped the Outcome of Wars
The technology of encryption, meant to protect information, and the codebreaking techniques meant to crack it have long developed in a constant arms race with each other. In the two World Wars of the 20th century especially, the success or failure of codebreaking efforts mattered nearly as much as the battles themselves in shaping the course of the war.
The Birth of Modern Computing
The machines built to crack ciphers like Enigma β early prototypes of what would become the modern computer β represent one of codebreaking's most lasting legacies, well beyond their immediate wartime purpose.
Frequently Asked Questions
How was the Enigma cipher actually broken?
A team at Bletchley Park led by Alan Turing built a machine called the "Bombe" β an early forerunner of the computer β that could rapidly work through enormous numbers of possible settings, ultimately succeeding in cracking the cipher.
Is the Voynich Manuscript still undeciphered?
Yes β despite many attempts using modern techniques, including AI, it remains completely undeciphered and continues to be regarded as an unsolved mystery.