What is engma?

Enigma was a German encryption machine used during World War II to encrypt and decrypt secret messages sent by the German military. It was considered one of the most complex and secure encryption devices of its time, with an estimated 158 million, million, million possible settings.

The Enigma machine consisted of a keyboard, a series of rotating wheels (known as rotors), and a plugboard. When a letter was typed on the keyboard, electrical signals passed through the rotors and plugboard, producing a scrambled letter as output. The settings of the rotors and plugboard determined the encryption method used for each message.

The Allies, particularly the British, worked to break the Enigma code throughout the war. British mathematician Alan Turing led the team at Bletchley Park that successfully cracked the code, a pivotal moment in the war that helped to shorten its length.

After the war, the Enigma machine and its codebreaking efforts remained highly classified until the 1970s when they were declassified and the full extent of the Allies' success in breaking the Enigma code was revealed. Today, Enigma machines are highly sought after by collectors and are considered rare and valuable pieces of military history.