ABSTRACT
The starring role now held by the telephone was once occupied by the telegraph. In the United States, the Bell System did not seriously rival Western Union until the early 20th century. France defended its telegraph network against the inroads of telephony until the 1960s, whereas Russia and Eastern Europe are only now switching over. What is true of national networks is even more so of international, especially intercontinental, communications. Although transatlantic telephony became possible by the late 1920s, it remained costly and erratic until the 1960s. In almost every respect, international telecommunications before World War II was synonymous with telegraphy.
