Enigma

About “Enigma”

In 1933, Marian Rejewski and two other Polish mathematicians broke the German Enigma machine cipher, which the Germans believed was unbreakable. In 1939, before the German invasion of Poland, the Poles shared their findings with the French and British. They provided machines and decoding methods, leading to the formation of the British decoding operation at Bletchley Park. This effort produced Ultra intelligence, which was crucial to Allied victories. The contribution of the Polish mathematicians remained secret for many years. In 1967, historian Wladyslaw Kozaczuk wrote about their work, and in 1973, General Gustave Bertrand revealed details in a French book. In 1974, Group Captain F.W. Winterbotham wrote about Bletchley Park but did not credit the Poles. Recently, the Poles have received recognition. In 1989, President George H.W. Bush acknowledged their role in breaking Enigma, calling it essential to the Allied victory.