Eiffel Tower - Paris, France
Posted by: tmob
N 48° 51.500 E 002° 17.671
31U E 448253 N 5411947
The Eiffel Tower, namely it's radio antenna, played a key role in World War I.
Waymark Code: WM152QT
Location: Île-de-France, France
Date Posted: 10/04/2021
Views: 62
The Eiffel Tower opened in 1889, and inittialy it was intented to be a temporary structure.
However, in 1909, it was decided to be kept as a radio antenna; actually the first Radio Broadcast in France was established between the Eiffel Tower and the Pantheon, and there is a plaque reminding the fact, located in the top balcony of the Eiffel Tower.
The decision to keep the tower as an antenna proved to be a wise one, since it played a key role during WWI:
«During World War I, the French military used the tower’s wireless station to intercept enemy messages from Berlin. In 1914, the French were able to organize a counter-attack during the Battle of the Marne after secretly learning that the German Army was halting its advance. Three years later, the station atop the Eiffel Tower intercepted a coded message between Germany and Spain that offered details about “Operative H-21.” Based in part on this message, the French arrested, convicted and executed legendary spy Mata Hari for spying on behalf of Germany.»
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