BEFORE AI / CRYPTOGRAPHY · EDITORIAL FEATURE
The Codebreaking Machines That Changed History
How mathematical insight and electromechanical engineering helped decipher Enigma traffic.
Breaking an encrypted message is not the same as guessing a password. During the Second World War, codebreakers combined mathematics, intelligence and machines to tackle Enigma.
Work that began before Bletchley Park
Polish mathematicians Marian Rejewski, Jerzy Różycki and Henryk Zygalski made crucial pre-war advances against Enigma. Their knowledge was shared with British and French counterparts in 1939.
Why machines mattered
At Bletchley Park, British codebreakers developed the bombe to help eliminate possible Enigma settings. It did not simply print out every decrypted message: people still needed to interpret clues, test settings and analyze results.
A lesson for the digital age
Codebreaking illustrates the value of collaboration across borders and disciplines. It also reminds us that technology succeeds through human expertise, not machines alone.
Explore the history: Bletchley Park; The National Museum of Computing.