WW2 Codebreaking

Introduction to Bletchley Park

Bletchley Park is a place of exceptional historical importance, as it is the home of British codebreaking and the birthplace of modern information technology. It played a major, yet highly secret, role during World War II, producing intelligence which had a direct and fundamental influence on the outcome of the conflict.

Introduction to Bletchley Park

'With the threat of war, the Secret Intelligence Service ... purchased this site, Bletchley Park, some 50 miles north of London. And this was to be one of the most heavily guarded secrets of the wartime. It was here that British Intelligence, with the help of 10,000 men and women, would crack the German messages and codes between Hitler and his High Command.'

What impact does war have on the development of new technologies?

'War had brought its own crises, which necessitated the scientific and computing developments, which may well have never happened, had it not been for this emergency. And so it tells us much about technological developments.'