The Enigma Machine

The Enigma Machine was a cipher device used by Nazi Germany during World War II to encrypt military communications. It used a series of rotating wheels (rotors) and a plugboard to scramble plaintext messages into complex codes, making them difficult to decode without the exact settings. Each keystroke changed the encryption pattern, creating a different cipher for each letter. Allied cryptanalysts, most notably at Bletchley Park, worked tirelessly to break Enigma’s code, which significantly contributed to the Allied victory by allowing them to intercept and understand German communications.