Cryptanalysis isn’t just about cracking codes—it’s a powerful force that has shaped history, technology, and global events in ways most people never notice. While stories like the Enigma machine are well-known, the lesser-known breakthroughs show how critical code-breaking has been to the world.
These 12 discoveries show the hidden impact of cryptanalysis, from changing wars to protecting today’s digital world.
1. Ancient Arab Scholars Led the Way
Al-Kindi, a 9th-century Arab polymath, revolutionized cryptanalysis by inventing frequency analysis, which remained the most significant breakthrough in code-breaking until World War II. (ref) His work detailed the first systematic methods for breaking monoalphabetic substitution ciphers.
Ibn Adlan made another crucial contribution in the 12th century by establishing guidelines for the sample size needed in frequency analysis. This mathematical approach to cryptanalysis laid the foundation for centuries of code-breaking techniques.
2. The Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots
In 1586, coded correspondence between Mary, Queen of Scots, and her conspirators led to her execution after Thomas Phelippes deciphered their secret messages. (ref) The decoded letters revealed detailed plans for three separate assassination attempts against Elizabeth I of England.
This historical event demonstrates how cryptanalysis directly influenced the course of British monarchy and European politics. It stands as one of the earliest documented cases where code-breaking led to a major political execution.
3. The First Digital Computers Were Code Breakers
The world’s first electronic digital computers were actually created specifically for cryptanalysis. The Colossus, built during World War II, was designed to break Nazi codes and marked the beginning of the computer age.
These early machines represented a fundamental shift from manual to automated cryptanalysis. The success of these computers in breaking complex military codes demonstrated the potential of mechanical computation in cryptanalysis.
4. Edgar Allan Poe’s Secret Talent
The famous horror writer Edgar Allan Poe was an accomplished cryptanalyst who regularly solved ciphers submitted by newspaper readers. He maintained a perfect record of solving every encrypted message sent to him through the Philadelphia newspaper Alexander’s Weekly Messenger.
Poe’s cryptanalytic methods were so advanced for his time that his writings on the subject were later used to train British codebreakers during World War I.
5. The Battle of Midway’s Hidden Story
American cryptanalysts played a crucial role in the Battle of Midway by breaking Japanese naval codes before the conflict. This intelligence allowed the U.S. Navy to anticipate and counter Japanese strategy, leading to a decisive victory. (ref)
The success of this cryptanalytic operation fundamentally altered the course of World War II in the Pacific. The Japanese navy never fully recovered from this defeat, which was made possible through code-breaking.
6. The Prohibition Connection
Elizebeth Friedman, a pioneering cryptanalyst, broke codes used by alcohol smugglers during Prohibition in the 1920s. Her work led to the successful prosecution of multiple criminal organizations and revolutionized law enforcement cryptanalysis.
Her methods helped establish modern cryptanalytic techniques in civilian law enforcement. Despite her groundbreaking achievements, her contributions remained classified for decades.
7. The Polish Breakthrough
Polish mathematicians, led by Marian Rejewski, made the first major breakthrough in breaking the German Enigma machine in 1932. This achievement came years before British efforts at Bletchley Park and was accomplished using purely mathematical techniques.
The Polish team’s work laid the crucial groundwork for later Allied cryptanalytic successes. They shared their findings with British and French intelligence just weeks before the start of World War II.
8. Native American Code Talkers
While not traditional cryptanalysis, Native American languages proved unbreakable during both World Wars. Enemy cryptanalysts could never decipher these communications because they were based on languages completely unknown to them.
The Navajo code talkers in World War II developed a sophisticated system that even native Navajo speakers couldn’t understand without special training. This remains one of the few codes never broken by cryptanalysis.
9. The Zimmermann Telegram Impact
Cryptanalysts’ decoding of the Zimmermann Telegram, which proposed a German-Mexican alliance against the United States, helped bring America into World War I. (ref) British cryptanalysts intercepted and decoded this diplomatic communication without the Germans realizing their code had been broken.
This single act of cryptanalysis changed the course of World War I by bringing American military power into the conflict. It represents one of the most significant diplomatic code-breaks in history.
10. The Soviet Espionage Breakthrough
Post-World War II cryptanalysts successfully broke Soviet espionage codes, leading to the identification of numerous spies operating in the United States. This breakthrough provided the FBI with hundreds of leads that helped uncover Soviet intelligence networks.
The decryption of these messages continued secretly for decades, providing valuable counterintelligence information throughout the Cold War.
11. The Commercial Revolution
Until the 1970s, cryptanalysis was primarily a government activity. The development of the Data Encryption Standard (DES) by IBM marked the first time that robust cryptographic tools became commercially available.
This shift fundamentally changed the landscape of cryptanalysis, moving it from government agencies into the commercial sector. It sparked a new era of public research into both cryptography and cryptanalysis.
12. The Mathematics Connection
Modern cryptanalysis has evolved into a highly mathematical discipline, far removed from its linguistic roots. Today’s cryptanalysts are more likely to be mathematicians than linguists, using advanced algebraic techniques and number theory.
The field now requires expertise in complex mathematical concepts like elliptic curves and quantum mechanics. This evolution has made modern cryptanalysis one of the most mathematically sophisticated fields of study.
The ongoing chess match between code makers and code breakers drives innovation in mathematics, computing, and security technology. Understanding cryptanalysis isn’t just about appreciating the past – it’s about preparing for the complex security challenges that lie ahead.
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Nancy Maffia
Nancy received a bachelor’s in biology from Elmira College and a master’s degree in horticulture and communications from the University of Kentucky. Worked in plant taxonomy at the University of Florida and the L. H. Bailey Hortorium at Cornell University, and wrote and edited gardening books at Rodale Press in Emmaus, PA. Her interests are plant identification, gardening, hiking, and reading.
