Sarika Khanal
Professor David Schlortt
His 247
22nd October, 2017
The Zimmermann Telegraph
Thesis: Fuelled by the submarine war, the Zimmermann telegraph pushed United States into Great War which changed the course of world history.
In the years 1914-1917 there were different issues and events going on around the world. It was the time of modern war. Several nations were not getting along in the Great War, afterward recognized as World War I. These countries comprised Great Britain, France, Russia, Austria-Hungary, and Germany and so on. Directed by Woodrow Wilson, the United States committed to stay neutral and remain away of Europe's troubles. The foreign policy of the United States would to a great extent limit its appearance into dispute
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amidst other nations. But Germany had different plan. They dispatched a coded correspondence to the Mexico promising that if they would battle against the United States, Germany would facilitate them get back their region lost to American expansion. However, this single piece of telegraph aided to heave the United States into the war and thus altered the track of history. The Zimmermann Telegram was a covert ambassadorial communication delivered by German Foreign Minister Arthur Zimmermann.
He is also an author of the telegraph. It was sent to the German Minister to Mexico, von Eckhardt, in January 1917. His duty was to hand over it to the Mexican government. It was supposed to be top secret mission and was written on wartime secret code. Nevertheless British Intelligence got access to the telegraph and was decoded by code breakers.
In the first place, the telegraph offered a defense agreement between Germany and Mexico preventing United States from joining the World War I in opposition to Germany. In return, Zimmermann purposed military and financial support to the Mexico to get back their lost territory of New Mexico, Texas and Arizona. Additionally, Von Eckardt was advised to make use of the Mexicans as a mediator to appeal the Japanese to join the German
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cause. As a matter of fact, the message was cut off and decrypted by the British. It was decoded by the cryptographic office known as “Room 40”. On February 24th the telegraph was submitted to the President Woodrow Wilson and on March 1st it was published on the press. President Wilson was definitely not going to disregard Germany’s wish to aggravate a war between Mexico and America. in addition he was not going to endure unrestricted marine warfare, which was seriously menacing American welfare and lives. The subject matter of the letter aslo inflamed American public, mainly after Arthur Zimmermann openly confessed authenticity of the telegram. As a result, on April 6th, 1917, United States proclaimed war on Germany and its allies. The decryption was considered as the most important intelligence victory for Britain throughout the period of Great War, and one of the initial affair on which a single decoded message had huge impact on world events. Not to mention America had been neutral for couple of years while the Great War got violent and out raged.
However dragged by the situation, the U.S. Congress announced war on Germany. As a neutral nation, the U.S. was permissible by international law to trade with all of the nations involved in war; but a rigid British marine barrier meant in reality that only those amiable to the Allies received an advantage from this agreement. Eventually, Germany attempted to stop the circulation of food, arms and armaments to its foes by the means of sinking neutral ships. Germany recommenced unhindered submarine warfare and started preying on U.S. ships in the Atlantic. This strategy caused anger in the United States. That’s why the majority of historians concur that the American involvement in Great War was unavoidable by early 1917, however the involvement to war was undoubtedly hasten by a scandalous letter composed by the
German. By March 1, notorious contents of the telegraph were splattered on the foremost pages of the media on a national scale. Political relationships among United States and Germany had been ceased in early February because of submarine. Whereas several Americans stayed loyal to isolationism; President Woodrow Wilson had just succeed in reestablishing his presidency with the motto, “He kept us out of war”, and the Zimmerman cryptograph acted as new conformation of German hostility. Accompanied with the submarine strike, it eventually got United States in support of involving in the battle. Consequently, on early of April 1917, President Wilson renounced his strategy of neutrality and requested Congress to proclaim war in opposition to the Germany and its allies. All things considered, a single piece of telegraph altered the path of the world history. Even though it did not meet its purpose, the Zimmermann telegraph is one of the primary reasons for United States to get involved in the war. Had it served its motive, war would have ended differently and certainly Germany would not have to sign unfair treaty of Versailles. Regardless, the Zimmermann telegraph is the reliable source for Historian to learn about the time period of Great War. It gives precise picture of how United States got shoved in the war even though America tried her best to stay neutral. It provides clear voice from the time period of World War I. The content of the message is clear-cut and easy to understand. Historians can easily predict the outcome of the correspondence and they can utilize it to understand causes and consequences of Great War better.
Both sides accepted the United States’ aid but they also sought to cut-off each other’s supply chain. While the Allies barricaded Germany’s ports with the British Navy, Germany began attacking merchant ships using their submarines, or U-boats. While Wilson was angered by the British tactics he was even more infuriated by the German’s. This would be the ultimate end of U.S. neutrality as Wilson would sternly address Germany’s actions and not Britain’s.
While the naval war is usually known for only little attention in histories of World War I, the Royal Navy's blockade of Germany played a dangerous role in the War. The U.S. Navy linking with the Royal Navy played a significant role in overcoming the German U-boats in the North Atlantic. The Germany Navy while technically effective disastrously diminished the German war effort. Germany's building of a High Seas Fleet was one of the causes that public view on Britain turned against Germany and that Britain come unto the War. Yet, the small U-boat fleet, showed a key competition to the British. In the early war, U-boats drowned three British cruisers, shocking the people of both England and Germany. The U-boat campaign was a major reason that public opinion in America turned against Germany and that America entered the War. Despite the huge investment, the German Navy accomplished nothing in return to counter balance the cost for Germany.
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Anderson, F., and R.S Stephenson. The War That Made America. Penguin Group USA, 2005. (accessed December 5th , 2013).
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Congress passed the declaration of war against Germany primarily based on its unrestricted use of U-boats against American ships. Thus through actions taken by the Germans, the United States would begin its involvement in the Great War. Works Cited James, D. Clayton, and Anne Sharp Wells. America and the Great War, 1914-1920. Wheeling: Harlan Davidson, 1998.
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