Setting the Stage
The Early Enigma in the 1930s
France 1940; General Heinz Guderian with
radio operators using an Enigma machine.
”Frankreich, Guderian, ‘Enigma.’” Borchert, Erich.
Developed by the Dutch, the Enigma was a cipher machine originally created to keep banking secrets secure. In 1923, Germany had purchased the patent for the Enigma to use it for securing communications (Enigma Machine).
Rise of Hitler
Adolf Hitler, after a series of political victories of the Nazi Party, was appointed Chancellor of Germany in 1933. After securing power, Hitler transformed Germany from a democratic nation into a war state prepared to conquer Europe (How Did Adolf Hitler Happen?).
“Standing amidst a large crowd, Adolf Hitler gives the Nazi salute during a Reichsparteitag (Reich Party Day) rally.” United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
The Bomba
Rejewski’s original sketch of the Bomba. Courtesy of Crypto Museum.
The Bomba, the predecessor of the Bombe, was developed by Poland between 1938 and 1939. The Bomba was built by Marian Rejewski, a Polish cryptanalyst. With the intention of speeding up hand-worked methods of decryption, the Bomba helped cryptanalysts read Enigma encryptions faster (Wilcox 2002, 7).
Under threat of imminent German invasion in 1939, Poland shared their progress with the French and the British (Wilcox 2002, 8).
Bletchley Park and English Efforts
After the German invasion of Poland,, Bletchley Park began decrypting Enigma communications. Operations at Bletchley Park were primarily led by figures such as Alan Turing and Gordon Welchman (Wilcox 2002, 8). A report signed by Alan Turing and his colleagues dated November 1st, 1939, suggests that the information sent from Poland months prior had been used to aid the construction of the British Bombe and to aid efforts in decrypting Enigma communications (Knox).