tedrick@ernie.berkeley.edu.BERKELEY.EDU (Tom Tedrick) (02/09/86)
Noone in this discussion has mentioned the role of
cryptography in the defeat of Germany in WW2 ...
I claim cryptography was the key factor.
Waiting for the flames ...
-Tom
tedrick@ernie.berkeley.eduweemba@brahms.BERKELEY.EDU (Matthew P. Wiener) (02/09/86)
In article <11754@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> tedrick@ernie.berkeley.edu.UUCP (Tom Tedrick) writes: >Noone in this discussion has mentioned the role of >cryptography in the defeat of Germany in WW2 ... >I claim cryptography was the key factor. > >Waiting for the flames ... We were discussing the Eastern Front. As far as I've heard, cryptography played no role there. Since I think the Western Front had just a small part in the defeat of Germany (although it did have a major role in the liberation of France), I think cryptography played a minor part in the defeat of Germany. Not that cryptography wasn't important for other reasons. ucbvax!brahms!weemba Matthew P Wiener/UCB Math Dept/Berkeley CA 94720
tedrick@ernie.berkeley.edu.BERKELEY.EDU (Tom Tedrick) (02/09/86)
In article <11757@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> weemba@brahms.UUCP (Matthew P. Wiener) writes: >In article <11754@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> tedrick@ernie.berkeley.edu.UUCP (Tom Tedrick) writes: >>Noone in this discussion has mentioned the role of >>cryptography in the defeat of Germany in WW2 ... >>I claim cryptography was the key factor. >> >>Waiting for the flames ... > >We were discussing the Eastern Front. As far as I've heard, >cryptography played no role there. Since I think the Western >Front had just a small part in the defeat of Germany (although >it did have a major role in the liberation of France), I think >cryptography played a minor part in the defeat of Germany. > >Not that cryptography wasn't important for other reasons. Matt, you have made me very happy. After having been convinced that you have me hopelessly outclassed as a mathematician by your previous postings, my self respect has been restored by finding I know something you don't :-) How about the fact that information which was gained vi ULTRA and passed to the Soviets (without their knowing it came through cryptography of course) played a key role in the Soviet plan for encirclement of German forces at Stalingrad? And in allowing the Soviets to block von Manstein's relief attempt? What about the fact that plans for the German offensive at Kursk were known to the Soviets (due to intercepts which were passed to them again), which allowed them to prepare a defensive zone a hundred miles deep, which broke the force of the German attack, and to prepare a counterblow from which the Germans never recovered? You know of course that information from ULTRA was passed to the Soviets throughout the campaign on the Eastern Front. And played a vital role in many respects ... -Tom