World War II Communications:
European Decoding of Nazi Messages

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Process Paper

Bletchley Park

Background

Enigma Communications

Thesis

Timeline

Modern Effect

Annotated Bibliography

Background

  The major event that triggered World War II was the conclusion of the Versailles Peace Treaty form the first World War.  Even after the treaty was signed, the Germans continued to have resentful feelings towards the war they were treated.  Not being allowed in the discussions of how to solve the problem after World War I, Germany was not happy with any of the discussions made by the representatives of other governments because they had no say in what would happen.  Once Hitler came to power in Germany, he brought out that resentment from the peace treaty and lead his country into a terrible war.  At the height of Germany's power in 1944 most of Europe had been taken over by Hitler's forces as can be seen in the map below.

Nazi Span in Europe "6 June 1944" [Eisenhower Foundation]

Hitler also brought hostile feelings towards many cultures such as the Jewish and Polish, when he became leader of Germany. "My family had done nothing wrong to any of the Germans, but still they managed to hunt down and kill all of my family. We had to hide in order to survive." [Wojtowicz] Many families face trials much like this.

    As the war raged on, Hitler not only fought against the Allied Powers, he fought the Jews themselves.  Ghettos and concentration camps were established throughout Europe in order to exterminate the Jews.  Many women, children, and elderly did not survive.

"Hungry Children in the Warsaw Ghetto." [Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority]

Children like these, if they survived the Ghetto, were taken and killed in death camps like Auschwitz or Chelmno/Kulmhof.  Millions were killed in death camps, many like these children and their families.

"Children from the orphanage in Lodz Ghetto on their way to Chelmno/Kulmhof death camp (September 1942)." [Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority]

Living conditions were harsh for those who did manage to survive the selection.  They were fed little and worked until exhaustion.  Many died and fell on the grounds, their bodies left to rot unless moved to be buried or burned by their fellow prisoners.  Many friends and families were ripped apart by the reign of Nazi power never to return. "As a child of only seven I had no idea what was happening when the Nazis came to my house, after my birthday celebration, and took my father away. All I knew was that Mama was crying and Papa wasn't coming back. It wasn't much later I saw him through the barbed wired fences, getting ready to 'take a shower'." [Wojtowicz]