The Woman Who Smashed Codes: A True Story of Love, Spies, and the Unlikely Heroine Who Outwitted America's Enemies
67 pages • 2-hour read
Jason FagoneThe Woman Who Smashed Codes: A True Story of Love, Spies, and the Unlikely Heroine Who Outwitted America's Enemies
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Background
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of gender discrimination.
Historical Context: World War I and the Rise of Signals Intelligence
The early 20th century witnessed a transformation in the nature of warfare, driven in large part by rapid technological innovation. Among the most consequential developments was the increasing reliance on communications systems such as telegraphy and radio. These systems allowed military and diplomatic messages to travel quickly across vast distances, but they also introduced new vulnerabilities. The interception and decoding of these messages, known as signals intelligence, emerged as a critical domain of modern warfare. In the United States, World War I served as the catalyst for the formal development of this field, laying the groundwork for institutions and practices that would shape intelligence work for decades. This historical context is essential for understanding the narrative of The Woman Who Smashed Codes, which centers on the pioneering contributions of Elizebeth Smith Friedman and her husband, William Friedman.
Before WWI, the US had no centralized or systematic approach to cryptography or codebreaking. While European powers such as Britain and France had already begun to recognize the strategic value of intercepting enemy communications, the American government lagged behind. Cryptographic work was often ad hoc and handled by military officers or diplomats with little formal training. However, the outbreak of WWI in 1914 and the subsequent involvement of the US in 1917 exposed the urgent need for a more organized effort. The war demonstrated that control over information could be as decisive as control over territory.
One of the earliest American responses to this need was the creation of the Cipher Bureau, also known as MI-8, under the leadership of Herbert Yardley. This unit was responsible for intercepting and decoding foreign communications, particularly those of enemy nations. Although MI-8 achieved notable successes, including the decryption of Japanese diplomatic messages during the postwar period, it operated in a relatively informal environment and lacked long-term institutional support. After the war, the bureau was eventually disbanded, reflecting the broader US tendency toward isolationism and skepticism about intelligence work in peacetime.
Despite this setback, WWI had already set in motion a deeper transformation. The war highlighted the importance of cryptography in military operations as well as in diplomacy and domestic security. It also demonstrated the need for trained specialists who could develop and break codes systematically. This realization led to the gradual professionalization of signals intelligence in the US, culminating in the establishment of more permanent agencies in the interwar period and beyond.
The Woman Who Smashed Codes traces the careers of the Friedmans, who began their work not in a military setting but at a private research institution funded by industrialist George Fabyan. The book underscores how the emergence of signals intelligence during WWI created new opportunities for individuals like the Friedmans. It also highlights the improvisational nature of early American cryptography, which relied on a small group of dedicated individuals rather than a well-established institutional framework. This context helps explain both the challenges and the achievements of the Friedmans, whose work often took place in obscurity.
Sociohistorical Context: Women in Early-20th-Century Science and Government
In spite of the many societal changes in the early 20th century, opportunities for women in professional fields remained limited. In science and government, women often faced structural barriers that restricted their access to education, employment, and advancement. Despite these challenges, several women made important contributions to emerging disciplines, including cryptography, chemistry, and public administration. Their work was frequently overlooked or undervalued, reflecting broader patterns of gender inequality.
At the turn of the century, higher education for women was expanding but still not equal to that available to men. Women’s colleges and coeducational institutions provided opportunities for academic training, particularly in the humanities and certain sciences. However, professional pathways remained constrained. Many scientific institutions excluded women or relegated them to subordinate roles, such as laboratory assistants or clerical workers. In government, similar patterns prevailed. Women were often employed in support positions, with limited prospects for leadership or recognition.
World War I created new opportunities for women, as the demands of wartime mobilization required the expansion of the workforce. Women entered roles that had previously been reserved for men, including positions in laboratories, offices, and intelligence units. In many cases, their contributions were critical to the war effort. However, these gains were often temporary. After the war, many women were pushed out of these roles as men returned from military service. The interwar period saw a reassertion of traditional gender norms, even as some women continued to pursue professional careers.
Within this context, the field of cryptography offered a unique, though still limited, avenue for women’s participation. Codebreaking required analytical skills, attention to detail, and linguistic knowledge, qualities that were not inherently gendered. As a result, some women were able to find work in this area, particularly during periods of national crisis. However, their contributions were often obscured by secrecy and overshadowed by the achievements of their male colleagues. The Woman Who Smashed Codes highlights how Elizebeth Smith Friedman navigated these challenges, balancing her professional ambitions with societal expectations. It also underscores the importance of acknowledging the contributions of women who have been historically marginalized.
Literary and Cultural Context: Francis Bacon and William Shakespeare
Though not necessarily related to cryptology, The Woman Who Smashed Codes explores the claim that Francis Bacon, rather than William Shakespeare, wrote the plays traditionally attributed to Shakespeare. This theory, which gained traction in the 19th and early 20th centuries, reflects a combination of literary speculation, cultural bias, and emerging methods of textual analysis. Although the Baconian theory has since been discredited by scholars, its historical significance lies in the way it shaped early approaches to authorship and textual interpretation. The origins of the Baconian theory can be traced to the 19th century, when some readers began to question whether Shakespeare, a man of relatively modest education and background, could have produced such sophisticated works. Bacon, a philosopher, statesman, and writer, was proposed as an alternative author whose intellectual profile seemed more consistent with the plays’ perceived depth and complexity. Proponents of the theory argued that Bacon had concealed his authorship for political or social reasons, embedding clues within the texts that could be deciphered through careful analysis.
These claims were supported by a variety of methods, including the search for hidden codes and patterns in the plays. Advocates believed that Bacon had used ciphers to encode messages revealing his authorship. This approach appealed to a growing interest in cryptography and the scientific analysis of texts. However, the methods employed were often subjective and lacked rigorous standards. As a result, different researchers produced conflicting interpretations, undermining the credibility of the theory.
By the early 20th century, the Baconian theory had attracted both popular attention and scholarly criticism. While some continued to pursue it with enthusiasm, many academics dismissed it as unfounded. Advances in historical research and textual scholarship provided strong evidence supporting Shakespeare’s authorship, including documentation of his life, his involvement in the theater, and the publication history of the plays. The Baconian theory gradually lost its influence, though it remains a notable example of how literary interpretation can be shaped by cultural assumptions.
This context plays a crucial role in The Woman Who Smashed Codes, as the Friedmans were recruited to work on a project aimed at proving the Baconian theory through the identification of hidden ciphers in Shakespeare’s texts. Although the project ultimately failed to produce credible evidence, it provided the Friedmans with valuable experience in pattern recognition, statistical analysis, and the systematic study of language. These skills would later become central to their work in cryptography.
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