The Zimmermann Telegram and Its True Purpose

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The Zimmermann Telegram and Its True Purpose

On January 9th, 1917 a message was sent from Germany to the German minister in Mexico. This message, later to be known as the Zimmermann Telegram was the final piece to a German plot to embroil the United States into a war with Mexico, Japan or both in order to cripple Allied supply lines fueling Allied operations in Europe.

The actual telegram was translated to as follows:

"We intend to begin on the first of February unrestricted submarine warfare. We shall endeavor in spite of this to keep the united States of America neutral. In the event of this not succeeding, we make Mexico a proposal or alliance on the following basis: make war together, make peace together, generous financial support and an understanding on our part that Mexico is to reconquer the lost territory in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. The settlement in detail is left to you. You will inform the President of the above most secretily as soon as the outbreak of war with the United States of America is certain and add the suggestion that he should, on his own initiative , invite Japan to immediate adherence and at the same time mediate between Japan and ourselves. Please call the President's attention to the fact that the ruthless employment of our submarines now follows the prospect of compelling England in a few months to make peace"

- ZIMMERMANN

Considering this telegram was sent to Mexico, it shows Mexican importance in this war. Mexico had two thousand miles of undefended coastline on the Pacific . Her northern boarder with the United States stretched for twelve hundred miles from Texas to California, touching all along all along its length against territory that had once been her ow...

... middle of paper ...

...egram was thought to be British propaganda, but on March 2, 1917 Arthur Zimmermann, the writer of the telegram, publically admitted to it. To this day it is not known why he admitted guilt.

Today the telegram is all but forgotten and thought to be nothing more than a slap in the face to the US by Germany. Had the plot behind the telegram gone the way proposed, Germany quite possibly could have either defeated the Allies or got them to the bargaining table and the world would be much different than as we know it today.

Bibliography

1. Tuchman, Barbara W., The Zimmermann Telegram, Viking Press, New York, 1958

2. Kahn, David, The Code-Breakers, Macmillan Co, New York, 1967

3. Tuchman, Barbara W. The Guns of August, Macmillan Co, New York, 1962

4. Also would like to thank the Mexican Embassy for providing me with a lot of information on this topic.

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