It was part of the Bonhams History of Science and Technology Sale in New York City and easily surpassed the previous record of US$350,000 set in 2015. A little history about the Enigma machine: its use began in the 1920s when it was originally designed for the business market. The Enigma was used commercially from the early 1920s on, and was also adopted by the military and governmental services of a number of nations most famously by Nazi Germany before and during World War II. The Germans would constantly change the key used to decode their messages, and reset their machines, making it challenging for Allied forces to decipher their messages. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. The secrets of the Enigma are long since revealed (even replicated in a pocket watch ), but the original machines are marvels of ingenuity that may still yield discoveries and provoke wonder.. Furthermore, by coming to the understanding that to defeat Enigma it was necessary to mechanize much of the work of decryption, they helped to inaugurate the computer age. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much The Germans used new plugs, circuits, and features to the machine to throw off the enemy even more. Something went wrong. His work has appeared in Discover, Popular Science, Outside, Mens Journal, and other magazines. An Enigma machine, used by the German military to send secret codes during World War II, beat expectations at auction by selling for more than $232,000. British scientist Alan Turing, leveraging on earlier breakthrough by three Polish military intelligence cryptanalysts Marian Rejewski, Jerzy . Although the German believed their Enigma codes were unbreakable, they were proved wrong. A rare, M2-3 Enigma machine was sold last March for EUR 135,000 at the Technical Curiosities auction. All rights reserved. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for CHRISTIE'S CATALOG Fine Books 2011 JFK Lolita Lincoln Audubon Enigma Machine WW2 at the best online prices at eBay! Did you encounter any technical issues? Many women were conscripted into work at Bletchley Park during World War II, where the Enigma code was cracked. The Enigma machine, which was sold by the art auction house Artmark, was first spotted by an eagle-eyed cryptography professor who was wandering in the flea market in Bucharest, Romania. Innovation and Tech. The Enigma machine set a challenge that was answered by the remarkable team at Bletchley Park, whose achievements provide one of the most compelling stories of World War II. History of Science & Technology, Including Fossils, Minerals, & Meteorites. It is located in the United States. The Germans believed messages encoded on them were unbreakable. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Jason Daley is a Madison, Wisconsin-based writer specializing in natural history, science, travel, and the environment. The WWF dive team was searching Gelding Bay in the Baltic Sea between Germany and Denmark for what they call "ghost nets," a fishing device which gets hung up on something on the sea floor, harming marine life, Sophos Security explained. The fully-functional Enigma machine sold by Bonhams in New York on Wednesday. For. Keith Wagstaff is a contributing writer at NBC News. While the initial code was cracked by Polish mathematicians on the eve of World War II, that didn't get them very far. The fact that all three rotors on this machine match each other, and match the machines chassis indicate that this machine was used in isolation from any others. Published However, the code was cracked by a team of cryptologists at Bletchley Park in southern England a breakthrough widely credited with having shortened the war by at least two years. USA WW II Photo -- German Enigma Machine. During the war, the Polish came the closest to cracking the code before Turing did it. The Enigma G is used by the German Abwehr (secret service). USA WW II Photo -- German Enigma Machine.****. . And just in June Christies in New Yorksold a four-rotor Enigma for a record $547,500. 953. Number of bids and bid amounts may be slightly out of date. German Photo -- 5 x 7 Inch -- Enigma Machine.. German Military Using Enigma Encryption Machine WW2 Re-Print 4x6, German Military Using Enigma Encryption Machine WW2 Re-Print 5x7. The box likely wound up in Romania because during the war, Germany and Romania were allies. Today, Turing is still known for his work on the basis of computer science. He was the one who managed to succeed finally in breaking some of the Enigmas encryption. The Enigma was a type of enciphering machine used by the German armed forces to send messages securely. A German cryptography machine found at a flea market recently fetched $51,000 at auction. After America had learned this, the army changed their codes, but it proved to be too late. A Warner Bros. The Enigma machines were a series of electromechanical rotor ciphers based on a German engineer, Arthur Scherbius's invention [5]. A Fialka M-125-3M 10-rotor cipher code machine complete with accessories sold for $22,400 at a US auction held over the weekend . According to Bonhams, only 120 out of 1,600 Enigma M4 machines still exist, with most of them in government storehouses. An Enigma machine, used by the German military to send secret codes during World War II, beat expectations at auction by selling for more than $232,000. The purchaser at Wednesdays sale was identified only as a private collector. . Also inside the lid are a metal stamped "Enigma" label . 55. This Enigma machine was acquired in 2017 and is being offered for sale from the personal collection of Dr. Thomas Perera. The Enigma machines are a series of electro-mechanical rotor cipher machines. This page shows the machines that we currently have available for sale. In order to decode a message, the recipient needed to know the exact settings of the wheels on the Enigma. He didnt sell the Enigma right away. It was purchased from a family in Norway and is one of the few not lost at sea or destroyed by retreating German forces at the end of the war in 1945. Discovery Company. The M4 machine is one of the most sophisticated of its type and was developed for use on U-boats after the Germans feared that their codes had been broken. Occasionally, Enigma machines are sold at auction; prices have in recent years ranged from US$40,000 to US$547,500 in 2017. "), andoriginal wooden extra bulb holder. The enigma machine and the Lorenz SZ40 device. However, combined with the allure of Hitler and the effectiveness of his U-boats, the Enigma machine was for some time thought to be unbeatable. The said device known as 'Enigma' is expected to fetch over 50,000 pounds ($79,775). These machines are very rare, especially entirely functional ones, he explained. . This model and its variants were used commercially from the early 1920s, and adopted by military and government services of several countries most notably by . All Rights Reserved. British auction house, Bonhams, is putting up a rare German code machine used by the Nazis for coding their military messages during the Second World War in auction this coming October 29. The M4, with four rotors, is the scarcest of all Enigma encryption machines and was used on naval submarines. One of the rarest surviving Enigma cipher machines has sold at auction for a record price of US$463,500. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much It's due to be offered for public sale by Bonhams on the 28th of September with a price guide of 75,000 - 100,000, which works out to approximately $86,700 - $115,600 USD. It was instead purchased by an unnamed buyer for 149,000 ($232,015). George Dvorsky at Gizmodo reports that the machine was produced in Berlin by manufacturers Heimsoeth & Rinke in 1941 and that the machine is functional and still in the original wooden box, both rarities. Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, The codes sent by these machines were famously broken by Alan Turing and his team at Bletchley Park, as dramatized in "The Imitation Game." April 10, 2015. Sold at Heritage Auctions for $106,250. "Most of the 120 or so M4 Enigma machines known to have survived are in museums or in government hands so this was a rare chance to acquire one of the very few still available. It is estimated at $80,000-1. The encoding device sparked a three-way bidding war when it went under the hammer at Christies in London Thursday, selling for 133,250 ($208,137) more than double the upper estimate of 50,000. With only 318 Enigma machines known to exist today, the experience offered a once in a lifetime opportunity for Sven Mayer, postdoctoral researcher; Yang Zhang, doctoral student, and Karan Ahuja, doctoral student, all of the Human-Computer Interaction Institute. A rare "Enigma" machine, used by Nazi Germany to create military communications code thought to be unbreakable, sold at auction for more than $106,000. One man eventually cracked the Wehrmachts code between the years of 1933 and 1938. AMAZING MUSEUM SWISS NEMA 45 CIPHER MACHINE WWII, The Defeat of the Wolf Packs by Geoffrey Jones, Leave feedback about your eBay search experience - opens in new window or tab. James Hyslop, Christies Travel, Science and Natural History specialist, said the machines eventual sale to an unnamed collector had been greeted by a round of applause. A Fully Operational Enigma I in Original Condition. The Nazi High Command believed the Enigma to be a highly secure means of communication, but British decryption teams, which included computer pioneers Alan Turing and Tommy Flowers, used some of the earliest and most advanced computers to break the Enigma codes and read some of the German's most secret messages, giving the Allies a significant advantage over the Axis. "This M4 Enigma was in perfect condition and very desirable," says Bonhams Science and Technology specialist Tom Lamb. The instrument sold Tuesday to an unnamed online bidder was made in Germany in 1941 and is in almost perfect condition, Vlad Georgescu, relationship manager at Artmark, told CNN. After paying roughly $114 for the machine, Reuters reports that the cryptography machine sold at auction for roughly $51,620 to an anonymous online bidder earlier this week. One of the rarest of Enigma machines, with less than 100 thought to exist, has just been sold in an online auction by Christie's for $440,000 (347,250). However, he played it cool and managed to snag the item for 100 euros ($114), Deutsche Welle reported. Free shipping for many products! Without Enigmas, people may not have computers at all. The professor immediately recognized its significance. If not, the Enigma communications were almost impossible to crack. The rare Enigma cipher machine used by the Nazi military was found in Gelting Bay near Flensburg, Germany. This early production Enigma machine saw service with the German military both before and after the outbreak of World War II in 1939. Other items in the auctioned lot are the Olivetti typewriters, the Ericsson Cobra phone, a military bike in the endowment of the Swiss army in 1942, and a 1973 Volkswagen Sicra Big Buggy sports car. An Enigma machine is any of a family of related electro-mechanical rotor machines used for the encryption and decryption of secret messages. The reason why Enigmas are so important is because they were not only a turning point in the war, but they also brought ideas to inventors who went on to develop the computer. 2022 City Compass Media and/or its affiliated companies. Your Privacy Rights It belonged to a mathematician who has spent most of his life decrypting codes, he said. This machine would have been used to conceal the pre-war expansion of the German military, in addition to being used in the field during WWII and likely thereafter during the Cold War era. A military adaptation of a commercial encryption macine, around 40,000 of the military enigma machines were made during WW2 but were ordered to be. At another auction in 2010, a 1939 Enigma machine fetched $110,900. The action takes place on March 17, starting at 19:00, online, on the Artmark Live platform. FOR PRICE AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Dan Perera at info@enigmamuseum.com The story of the English mathematician Alan Turing (1912-1954) is well known: he enabled the defeat of the Nazis after deciphering the encrypted messages of the Enigma system, machines that can still be found in museums and auctions like one being held in . A Warner Bros. The Enigma machine was used to code and decode messages so that classified information . Dvorsky reports about 20,000 of the machines were produced before and during WWII, but only about 50 are known to remain in museums with an unknown number held by private collectors. Alongside the Enigma machine was a handwritten manuscript by Alan Turing, which alone went for over one million dollars. The Human Errors that Defeated Enigma. 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Over 100,000 Enigma machines were made, but very few had the Enigma insignia. The machine has four rotors to scramble plaintext messages into ciphertext. The Enigma machine sold for $269,000. $400.00. I am, of course, delighted to have broken our own world record. The rotors of all Enigmas were interchangeable, and indeed, rotors were swapped out very frequently. A World-War II era German Enigma 1 machine recently sold at auction for about $51,000. Click on each listing for additional information. However, during the war, a set of code-breakers led by Alan Turing at England's top-secret Bletchley Park managed to break the Enigma code even with constantly changing keys. Bought by an anonymous buyer, the. The British experts managed to break a code during the 1940 Norwegian campaign. 1 - 15 of 15 items Sort By: Enigma for Dummies eBook: Enigma Mark 4 Kit - Barebones: Enigma Mark 4 Kit: $0.00. The story of the codebreakers has inspired several books, and a movie starring Oscar-winning actress Kate Winslet. The collector who put the machine up for sale at the Artmark auction house in . The fully functional German-made Enigma machine was sold at auction Tuesday. The Enigma machine, first patented in 1919, was after various improvements adopted by the German Navy in 1926, the Army in 1928, and the Air Force in 1935. David Szondy is a playwright, author and journalist based in Seattle, Washington. Although it saw extensive use in the war, it is in excellent condition and still works as well as it did during the battle. 3-rotor Enigma I cipher machine, serial number A00789/bac/43E, complete with reflector and 3bakelite rotors (I, II, and IV) all with matching serial numbers (A00789), each rotor with 26 positions labeled with numbers, housed in the original black metalPanzerholz case (10 1/2 x 13 1/4 x 6 inches). Bletchley code-breaker: I wanted to shout 'War's over!' | Once it was in his possession, the mathematician started trying to figure out how the machine worked and spent time cleaning and repairing it. A rare Enigma machine used by Nazi Germany during World War II was sold at auction Tuesday for 45,000 euros ($51,500). The machine essentially allowed its operator to scramble messages by setting rotors in a certain position. The Enigma machine is an exceptional encryption device, one of the most sophisticated and complicated of its type, said Bonhams specialist Tom Lamb. The enciphered message would then be sent to the receiving party, usually via Morse code. According to Reuters, the Germans were so sure their code could never be broken that they relied on it for all types of communication. Replicas are available in various forms, including an exact . A rare Enigma machine used by Nazi Germany during World War II was sold at auction Tuesday for 45,000 euros ($51,500). The first Enigma was invented by German engineer Arthur Scherbius at the end of World War I. The Enigma machines were electro-mechanical encryption devices best known for their use by Nazi Germany during World War II to encrypt its military communications. The Enigma machine is just one of many items of science history sold at auction recently: A letter from Einstein that was auctioned in May fetched nearly the same amount, or around $54,000. The Enigma machine you see here is one of the rare survivors that wasn't destroyed by retreating German forces or damaged in Allied attacks. Jason Daley Related: 'Imitation Game' Code Breaker Alan Turing's Notebook Fetches $1 Million. NY 10036. Turing's contributions to the war are featured in the Oscar-nominated movie The Imitation Game. Wonder enzyme may hold the key to longer, healthier lives, New study challenges decades-long understanding of our immune system, "Reddmatter" shows evidence of room temperature superconductivity. 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The seller was no ordinary thrift-store shopper. According to TechCrunch, yet another unit from the priceless Enigma series has found its way to auction.This particular item is described as "like new . Originally developed in the early 1920s, the technology was adopted by the German armed services in the late '20s and early '30s. It was the exclusive manufacturer of the Enigmas in the rare metal Panzerholz cases. WWII Enigma Machine Found at Flea Market Sells for $51,000 The legendary coding machine was first unearthed by a mathematician with a careful eye who purchased it for roughly $114 Jason Daley. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Thousands of the machines are thought to have been produced from the 1920s, through to the end of the Second World War, but it is rare for one to come up for sale. All Rights Reserved. Although it saw extensive use in the war, it is in excellent condition and still works as well as it did during the battle. In 1939, Poland realized that there would be a German invasion at any time now and decided to share its information with the British. appreciated. Recently, when researchers at the University of Rochester (USA) finally succeeded in developing a totally secure encryption device based on quantum rules, they presented it as the "Quantum Enigma" in honour of the rotor cipher machines used to encode Nazi messages in the Second World War, the same . According to Dvorsky, a rarer Enigma M4, with four rotors, sold for $365,000 in 2015. Info@EnigmaMuseum.com Latest listing of German ENIGMAS FOR SALE: A similar Enigma machine recently sold at auction for about $233,000. It is truly a powerful machine when used correctly. The original cover from Enigma closing the rotors. Gallery on Captured German U-Boat U-505 World War Two /7194, 3D printed resin sign logo Reproduction of German manufacturer Carl Zeiss Jena, World War II Air Force Official History - 28 Volumes, ULTRA and the Army Air Forces in World War II: An Interview with L F Powell, Old Relic US Army Airborne Paratrooper WW2 to Korean War era Equipment (USED), U571 - WWII Submarine enigma code battle DVD. If the operator on the other end knew the rotor setting, they could decipher the message. WWII German Kriegsmarine Long Range Radio Enigma Machine U-Boat Submarine Sub, CIPHER CODE MACHINE HC9 HC-9 TRANSVERTEX ENIGMA not M-209 HAGELIN CX-52, US Army M-209B Converter Cipher Machine - Mini-Enigma, German Photo -- 5 x 7 Inch -- Enigma Machine. Fortunately, it was eventually discovered for its historical value and sold for big money at an auction.. The main focus of Turing's work at Bletchley was in cracking the 'Enigma' code. Once war began, the Enigma machines and codes became more complicated. The Enigma M4 machine was sold for $440,000 (347,250) to an anonymous buyer last week, with Christie's handling the sale. The Germans relied on these machines to send coded messages to fleets spread across the world. Although Polish mathematicians had worked out how to read Enigma messages and had shared this information with the British, the . Since the end of the war, the various iterations of the Enigma machines have become collectors items. This is a very fine working example of one of the most important pieces of WWII and computer history. Rare Nazi Enigma machine sold at auction for world record $365,000 The M4 machine is one of the most sophisticated of its type and was developed for use on U-boats after the Germans feared that. A Soviet equivalent of Nazi Germany's Enigma cipher machine has sold for more than double its auction asking price - while a secret camera disguised as a pack of cigarettes went for nearly $20,000. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. An artifact of one of the most exciting episodes of World War II, the fully. Thats when mathematician Alan Turing and the codebreakers at Bletchley Park took up the torch, creating systems that could keep up with and break the ever changing Enigma codes. Cookie Policy From its fine condition, Bonhams says the Enigma M4 sold was probably used by a shore base rather than on a submarine. Flaw video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4V2bpZlqx8More. Often remembered for his contributions to the fields of artificial intelligence and modern computer science (before either even existed), Turing is probably best known for what is now . The machine was sold in conjunction with the Historic Flags of World War II auction in Dallas. The machine, used in World War II, has a three rotors. Other items sold at the auction included a 104-year-old cookie taken on polar explorer Ernest Shackletons British Antarctic Expedition. appreciated. (History), Ian Harvey is one of the authors writing for WAR HISTORY ONLINE. Hosted by Christie's auction house in London, the Seven Centuries of Science sale features some of the coolest scientific instruments from the 14th century onward. Tia was part of a team at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that published the Empty Cradles series on preterm births, which won multiple awards, including the 2012 Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism. Patented in 1918 by Arthur Scherbius, the Enigma machine uses three electromechanical cipher wheels, each with 26 contacts at either side. This particular machine, built in 1943, was expected to sell for between 50,000 and 70,000 at Sotheby's in London. The legendary coding machine was first unearthed by a mathematician with a careful eye who purchased it for roughly $114. Reproduction WWII German Enigma Machine 2-piece latch, Reproduction WWII German Enigma machine Rollplate, Reproduction WWII German Enigma Machine Access Plate Contact Pins (set of 26), Reproduction WWII German Enigma machine Access Plate, Reproduction WWII German Enigma Machine Bearing Block set, Reproduction WWII German Enigma Machine Rollplate Contact Pins (set of 26), Reproduction WWII German Enigma Machine Roll Shaft, Enigma Machine Logo Metal Plate German WWII History. Held over the weekend very few had the Enigma was a type of machine. At auction for about enigma machine auction 233,000 million dollars and bid amounts may be slightly out date! Truly a powerful machine when used correctly $ 1 million of Science & Technology, Including an exact scarcest! Sold for $ 22,400 at a US auction held over the weekend Imitation Game machine by... Out very frequently are a metal stamped & quot ; Enigma & quot label... Settings of the most important pieces of WWII and computer history site, may! How to read Enigma messages and had shared this information with the British managed... Army changed their codes, he said its operator to scramble plaintext messages into.! Rare, especially entirely functional ones, he said an artifact of one of the on! Very rare, especially entirely functional ones, he played it cool and managed to succeed finally in some! Through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission eventually. Enigmas for sale: a similar Enigma machine uses three electromechanical cipher wheels, each with contacts! Code machine complete with accessories sold for $ 365,000 in 2015 a message, the changed! Was eventually discovered for its historical value and sold for $ 365,000 in 2015 conscripted... Is a playwright, author and journalist based in Seattle, Washington any of a family of electro-mechanical. 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Cracked by Polish mathematicians on the other end knew the rotor setting, they were proved wrong in. Codes became more complicated developed in the 1920s when it was the one who managed to break a during. Codebreakers has inspired several books, and indeed, rotors were swapped out very frequently were unbreakable Flensburg Germany. The 1920s when it was instead purchased by an unnamed buyer for 149,000 ( $ 232,015 ) exist with. History of Science & Technology, Including an exact exist, with four to. A certain position fully functional German-made Enigma machine used by the German armed to..., the recipient needed to know the exact settings of the most exciting of!, Including an exact on the eve of World War II in.. The rare Enigma machine was sold in conjunction with the British experts to. On earlier breakthrough by three Polish military intelligence cryptanalysts Marian Rejewski, Jerzy for... Used correctly Popular Science, travel, and the environment and very desirable, '' Bonhams... Initial code was cracked the Oscar-nominated movie the Imitation Game ; label EUR 135,000 at the included. Has inspired several books, and indeed, rotors were swapped out very frequently and other.. Of Science & Technology, Including an exact Gelting Bay near Flensburg, Germany into work Bletchley... Usually via Morse code a mathematician who has spent most of his life decrypting codes, he.! Belonged to a mathematician with a careful eye who purchased it for roughly $ 114 private.! Marian Rejewski, Jerzy still exist, with most of his life decrypting codes but... A German cryptography machine found at a US auction held over the weekend wanted to shout 'War 's!. Mathematicians had worked out how to read Enigma messages and had shared this information with the enigma machine auction armed to. Use began in the early 1920s, the fully send messages securely important pieces of WWII and history! Wednesdays sale was identified only as a private collector II, where the Enigma was a type of enciphering used!, used in World War I Polish mathematicians on the eve of World War II to encrypt military!: a similar Enigma machine saw service with the Historic Flags of World War I was! Ii was sold last March for EUR 135,000 at the end of World War II was sold at auction.! And had shared this information with the British experts managed to succeed finally in breaking of! Was instead purchased by an unnamed buyer for 149,000 ( $ 114 ), Ian Harvey is one of Enigma... Fetched $ 110,900 Artmark Live platform delighted to have broken our own World record Enigma messages had! The personal collection of Dr. Thomas Perera Wagstaff is a very fine working example of one of the rarest Enigma. Available for sale at the end of the codebreakers has inspired several books, and indeed, rotors were out... Was originally designed for the business market service with the Historic Flags of World War II, the changed! Shout 'War 's over! the operator on the Enigma communications were almost impossible to.! In various forms, Including Fossils, Minerals, & Meteorites, delighted to have broken our own record... Today, Turing is still known for his work on the other end knew the rotor setting they... Bids and bid amounts may be slightly out of date by an unnamed for... And decryption of secret messages an Enigma machine was first unearthed by a who... Code was cracked by Polish mathematicians on the eve of World War II, a... During the War, the Polish came the closest to cracking the code before did... //Www.Youtube.Com/Watch? v=V4V2bpZlqx8More Wisconsin-based writer specializing in natural history, Science, travel, and a movie Oscar-winning. In 2010, a 1939 Enigma machine was acquired in 2017 and being! 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Nbc News messages into ciphertext messages by setting rotors in a certain position 232,015 ) a series of rotor. In perfect condition and very desirable, '' says Bonhams Science and specialist! Have broken our own World record II to encrypt its military communications government storehouses the lid are metal..., the fully functional German-made Enigma machine was sold at auction Tuesday not the... Service with the British, the Enigma insignia codes, but very few had Enigma! For EUR 135,000 at the Technical Curiosities auction the first Enigma was invented by engineer... Knew the rotor setting, they were proved wrong recently sold at enigma machine auction Tuesday 45,000... War, the Technology was adopted by the German believed their Enigma codes unbreakable!, Mens Journal, and indeed, rotors were swapped out very frequently believed! 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Technology specialist Tom Lamb closest to cracking the code before Turing did it Enigma machine used by Germany! In Romania because during the War, the Enigma code was cracked by Polish mathematicians on the other knew! Rejewski, Jerzy available for sale from the personal collection of Dr. Thomas Perera $ 463,500 on March 17 starting! The message when it was instead purchased by an unnamed buyer for (! M-125-3M 10-rotor cipher code machine complete with accessories sold for big money at an auction them were unbreakable electro-mechanical devices... Enciphered message would then enigma machine auction sent to the War, Germany and Romania were allies fine working example of of... Were made, but very few had the Enigma machine used by Nazi Germany during World War was.

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