Analyse a Defining Moment in Intelligence History from 1901 to Now?

            Cracking the Enigma Code (WW2)

World War II is categorized as history’s leading and most influential armed battle of all times. The war served as the breeding ground for the contemporary structure in regard to intelligence and security as well as for the after war stability of supremacy that created the basis that supported the Cold War (Lycett, 2011 1). In this context, the defining specifics of the war is that the use of armaments, a real fight, and battle materials was not solemnly responsible for captivating the war. To the highest degree, the win was artificially designed by the exertions of the American and British intellect amenities, who ultimately outweighed the enemies’ exertions (Lycett, 2011 1). Underlying the weapons and aircraft war was the battle of descriptions, confrontations, thoughts, and impersonations. These were the intangible civilization objects that generated massive tangle influence for the individuals of Europe, Asia and distinctive parts in the global context (Leong-Kok 34).

Scope and Significances of the War

The Second World War pocked some principal allied states the most known based on their authority being America, UK, China and the Soviet Union in contradiction of the Axis states (Leong-Kok 34). After the war began most of the Axis signatories were either willing or reluctant to put their efforts with the Allied states based on their influence but Germany alongside Japan retained their principal authorities in the former treaty. In 1945 Japan submitted to America (Leong-Kok 36). The war becomes the major source of death for million persons across the regions. It served as the crisis amid the multi glacial 19th and 20th centuries which founded the ground for the occurrence of the Cold War (Leong-Kok 34). This ended with the dominance military European powers and also shepherded in the period where Europe principally relied on America’s assistance to generate its recovery in the quest of circumventing another War thus becoming an influential economic influence.

What Happened and the Impact on WW2

After the Versailles treaty that occurred in 1919, the security system in German established the interest to enhance its communication systems thus identifying the capability of gesticulating machines that were initially designed for the trading sector (Budiansky, 2008 27). The intellectual machine that was created by Alan Turing in the early stages of the Second World War, was essential in cracking Germany’s messaging that was programmed by the Enigma device. Enigma Device had the capability of rapidly hurtling the general rate in which the diverted information was being decided thus permitting allied powers to respond consequently within few hours rather than waiting for their attacks (Budiansky, 2008 27).

After the development and assessment of Enigma machine about 210 bombe devices were created that operated everywhere (Hinsley & Stripp, 2001 14). These devices were located at distinct areas across the United Kingdom in the quest of lowering bombing that would, in turn, destroy the expensive and dynamic machines. Based on the shortage of the machines, code machines were transformed into operative enigma devices. The captured messages were then decoded into the English language prior to being passed on to the intelligence systems. According to Hinsley & Stripp (2001 15) at the utmost, the machines were able to capture more than three thousand messaging on daily basis and by the end of the battle, about 2.5 million memos had been acquired most of which offered the Allies with essential data in regard to Germany’s strategy and motives. The acquired understanding played a significant role in regard to major wars victory which shortened the battling period.

Primary Intelligence Factors That Contributed to the Outcome

The Allies were suffering from communication issues given that German had invested much on its technological communication that advanced both their strategies as well as invasions (Mardia and Cooper, 2016 81). Given that German was mainly utilizing coded information the Allies were in need of knowing as well as sharing the messages with the defence systems. Germany as the enemy was utilizing deceptive measures which included the use of encrypted and coded communications network. They believed that Enigma would never be cracked by the Allies and so they became reliant on it on all its communications and attacks. The Allies forced on dishonesty and secrete as most of their moves were strategically drawn (Mardia and Cooper, 2016 81). German miscalculated Enigma’s potential as they believed that it would not be cracked and therefore relied on it in making all its communication. After the strategic attacks, German’s economy was destroyed and exposed to susceptibilities given that the battle was financially and materially demanding.

Friendliness of the decision makers both from the United States and Britain helped in settling for similar grounds that contributed to their success (Leong-Kok 38). The Allies were incorporated of influential nations in reference to power and resources which acted as an advantage. On the other hand, German was in need of finances as well as materials which turned to be their primary priorities in order to conquer. Communication issues were the major influences of the event were both parties focused on enhancing their communication strategies in terms of knowledge. The Allies were driven by their desire to sustain their socio-economic and political power over their enemies (Mardia and Cooper, 2016 84). Given that they possessed more resources fuelled their intervention that did not only enhance their response tactics but also weakened Germany’s defence.

Consequences and Impact

After WW1 the Germany’s consistently focused on advancing their technology until that point that it grew to be Nazi’s main channel of encrypting communications throughout the WW2 (Matson, 2014 898). The technology was modified consistently throughout the battling period which made it difficult to break the coding. Without Enigma’s capabilities, it is obvious that the Allies would have unrelentingly faced severe drawbacks in contradiction of the German’s military dominance in coding technology (Weiss, 2014 10). Despite the fact that it is not possible to quantify the exact implications of the machines contributions it is estimated that the war would have continued for a minimum of two more years and approximately two million individuals would have been killed (MCGRAYNE, 2011 6). The strategic attacks that Allies utilized inflicted severe damages on Germany’s aircraft industries which created a susceptible economy (Matson, 2014 898). The innovative intelligence turned to be the foundation of the contemporary computing and battling techniques.

Cracking the Enigma Code during the Second World War is a defining period in the intelligence history based on its contributions. The event was crucial because it did not only contribute to the sharing of important knowledge but was also responsible for equipping the soldiers which contributed the Germany’s forces downfall (O'HAVER, 2012 216). The cracking of the messaging codes was an innovation which saved millions of lives. It is, therefore, important to note that the war would not have been won by the Allies without the intervention of the innovation. Code cracking was predominantly imperative to the success of the Allies in the Atlantic Battle where German’s U-boats positioned obstruction to Allied sailing forces in the exertions of decreasing the supply sources to the United Kingdom (O'Sullivan, 2015 193). In this context, without the capability to break the codes that helped to determine the actual site of the obstruction boats. The Allies would have eventually missed success in the Atlantic Battle as well as the war. Cracking the Enigma codes is a defining moment because, it established artificial intelligence an event that glimmered technological revolution that resulted in conquest (Short and Dagan, 2013 8). The conquest in regard to coding is accounted to be the utmost cogent intelligence attempt that described the potential for intelligence knowledge. It is accurate to state that close to all the afterward war development paid reference to the cracking development as their basis of conquering against the enemies strategies.

Conclusion

The long run invention that was applied during WW2 resulting to intimidation being more secure given that it offered more knowledge for the utilization of techniques that led to the destruction of the Germany’s defences. The devastating effects on German lowered its capability to overshadow the Soviet Union. Some of the major forces that led to the success of the Allies on cracking the codes was their economic deployment and equipment. In addition, the nations were driven by their desire to sustain their political and social influence and this triggered their preparedness to dedicate their resources to the invention. Cracking Enigma’s code became an important event during the WW2 because it offered strategic knowledge and capabilities that did not only spare millions of lives but also ended the battle sooner.

 

References

Budiansky, S. (2008). 'The Code Breaker Who Exposed a Secret German Language', World War II, 23, 4, p. 27. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost.

Hinsley, F. H., & Stripp, A. (2001). Codebreakers: The inside story of Bletchley Park. Oxford [u.a.: Oxford Univ. Press.

Leong Kok Wey, A. 2017. 'Special Operations by Air Power: Strategic lessons from World War II', Air Power History, 64, 1, pp. 33-40.

Mardia, K.V. and Cooper, S.B. (2016). Alan Turing and Enigmatic Statistics. 78-89.

Matson, RW. 2014, 'Allied Master Strategists: The Combined Chiefs of Staff in World War II', Historian, 76, 4, pp. 898-899, Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost.

MCGRAYNE, S. B. (2011). The theory that would not die: how Bayes' rule cracked the enigma code, hunted down Russian submarines, & emerged triumphant from two centuries of controversy. New Haven [Conn.], Yale University Press. http://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=3420687.

O'HAVER, R. 2012. 'The Theory That Would Not Die: How Bayes' Rule Cracked the Enigma Code, Hunted Down Russian Submarines, and Emerged Triumphant from Two Centuries of Controversy', Journal of Information Systems, vol. 26, no. 2, pp. 215-217. Available from: 10.2308/isys-10307.

O'Sullivan, D. 2015. The Decline of the Spy. Intelligence, Counterintelligence and Signals Intelligence during the Second World War. Groniek, 44(193).

Short, K. and Dagan, A. 2013. An Examination of the Components and Mathematics of the Enigma Electromechanical Rotor Ciphers.

Weiss, TR .2014. 'World War II Code breaking Center Is Reborn after Being in Disrepair', Eweek, p. 10, Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost.

Lycett, A. 2011. Breaking Germany’s Enigma Code. Pp. 1-1. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/enigma_01.shtml