Claude Chappe's Optical Telegraph: The World's First Cyberattack?

This article recounts the story of Claude Chappe and his optical telegraph, the world's first long-distance communication system. Chappe, a French engineer whose clerical career was derailed by the French Revolution, invented a system using towers and movable arms to transmit visual signals. The system saw widespread use during Napoleon's era but was eventually superseded by the electric telegraph. The article also details an early 'cyberattack' exploiting the system, and Chappe's tragic end.