The proud tower, the pulitzer prizewinning the guns of august, and the zimmermann telegram comprise barbara w. Includes images of original primary source documents, lesson plans, teacher and student competitions, and educational resources. In 1916 woodrow wilson was elected president for a second term, largely because of the slogan he kept. The zimmermann telegram galvanized american public opinion against germany once and for all.
Zimmermann sent it to the german ambassador in the united states. They used the mexican cover story, which page accepted, to explain their acquisition of the telegram, thus. This telegram, written by german foreign secretary arthur zimmermann, is a coded message sent to mexico, proposing a military alliance against the united states. The zimmermann telegram we intend to begin on the first of february unrestricted submarine warfare. News of the telegram further inflamed tensions between the united states and mexico. The zimmermann telegram also called the zimmermann note was a telegram sent to mexico from germany on january 16, 1917. The british told him that they had no objection to its publication but requested that great britain not be revealed as the source. In return for mexican support, germany would help mexico regain new mexico, texas, and arizona from the united states. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in. Zimmermann telegram wikisource, the free online library. It has traditionally been claimed that the telegram was sent over three routes. The proposal was intercepted and decoded by british intelligence. Sep 25, 2015 pdf gives a detailed, scholarly report of the encryption and transmission techniques.
Nov 16, 2014 as part of a bbc series looking at stories beyond the trenches, bbc mundos luis fajardo examines the lasting impact of the zimmermann telegram. Zimmermann s office sent the telegram to the german embassy in the united states for retransmission to eckardt in mexico. In it, berlins foreign secretary, arthur zimmermann, offered his countrys support to mexico for reconquering the lost territory in texas, new mexico, and arizona in exchange for a mexican attack on the united states, should the latter enter the war on the side of the allies. Decoding the zimmermann telegram, 100 years later by. In return for the alliance, mexico would receive financial assistance from germany as well as could reclaim territory lost during the mexican. The zimmermann telegram historical background between 1914 and the spring of 1917, the european nations engaged in a conflict that became known as world war i. German foreign minister arthur zimmermann sent this encoded message to the president of mexico on january 16, 1917, offering united states territory to mexico in return for joining the german cause in world war i.
Since 1 march 1917, the day its decrypted text was published in us newspapers, the zimmermann telegram has been a subject of popular fascination. Telegraph bureau, the american government is supposed to possess documents according to which the german. This, along with germanys resumption of submarine warfare, and other factors led the united states to declare war against germany in april 1917 and enter world war one. Intelligence, diplomacy, and americas entry into world war i thomas boghardt naval institute press, 2012, 319 pp. Months earlier, british intelligence had intercepted a secret message from german foreign minister arthur zimmermann to the mexican government, inviting an alliance along with japan that would recover the southwestern states mexico lost to the u. President wilson agreed to this, in the belief that such cooperation would sustain continued good relations with germany, and that more efficient germanamerican diplomacy could assist wilsons goal of a negotiated end to the war. The zimmermann telegram miamidade county public schools. The ambassador was instructed to offer the mexican president, venustiano carranza, an alliance. What algorithm did the zimmerman telegram use during wwi. Oct 09, 2019 the zimmermann telegram on docsteach asks students to analyze the telegram to determine if the united states should have entered world war i based on the telegrams information and implications. Explain to students that the zimmermann telegram helped draw the united states into the war and thus changed the course of history. Zimmermann was the german foreign secretary took care of things with other countries.
Tuchmans classic histories of the first world war era in january 1917, the war in europe was, at best, a tragic standoff. In the event of this not succeeding, we make mexico a proposal or alliance on the following basis. World war i began in 1914 as a fight among several european nations, while the united states pursued a policy. Zimmermann telegram as received by the german ambassador to mexico nara 302025. Britain knew that all was lost unless the united states joined the war, but president wilson was unshakable. This message helped draw the united states into the war and thus changed the course of history. Permission is granted to copy, distribute andor modify this document under the terms of the gnu free documentation license, version 1. Featuring 100 milestone documents of american history from the national archives. Zimmermann telegram as received by the german ambassador to.
After having remained neutral in the war for nearly three years, several events in 1916 and early 1917 occurred which brought america into the war against germany germany had previously engaged in unrestricted submarine warfare on the british, where the germans declared they would sink any ship in or. The telegram was intercepted and decoded by british. The original draft article pdf available in cryptologia 311. Zimmermann telegram national wwi museum and memorial.
The history of all codes, however, is littered with clear examples of how they were, indeed, broken. The zimmermann telegram of yesteryear tuchmans famous 1958 book lacked many of the meanwhile publicly accessible archival documents such as those of the fbi, mid, mixed claims commission, as well as the various secret services of the united states, great britain, and germany. Telegrama zimmermann american foreign relations, volume 1. The world war i page on docsteach includes other primary sources and documentbased teaching activities related to wwi. Rearrange individual pages or entire files in the desired order. We shall endeavor in spite of this to keep the united states of america neutral.
The zimmerman telegram was an important piece of americas decision to enter world war one. Sep 08, 2016 enlarge pdf link zimmermann telegram zimmermann telegram, 1917. Beauty of havana is like a hidden treasure waiting to be found. Time stopped here 50 years ago but time in cuba doesnt exist.
On march 1, 1917, the american public learned about a german proposal to ally with mexico if the united states entered the war. Page then reported the story to president woodrow wilsonincluding details to be verified from telegraph company files in the united states. Zimmermann telegram simple english wikipedia, the free. Telegrama zimmermann wikipedia, a enciclopedia livre. The telegram was considered perhaps britains greatest intelligence coup of world war i and, coupled with american outrage over germanys resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare, was the tipping point persuading the u. Gepman legaticn via galvesto jan 3528 115 416 17214 605 21290 0228 918 6491 3494 51m 17e94 8958 110 14936 39695 4473 12.
Links go to docsteach, the online tool for teaching with documents from the national archives. Pdf this paper discusses the problem of how to make use of a secret without publishing the source. There is in the state department files 11 telegram dntod september 10, 1917. Enlarge pdf link zimmermann telegram zimmermann telegram, 1917. An analysis of the zimmermann telegram, based on a conversation with david kahn, author of the codebreakers. The point of the departure is the socalled zimmermann telegram which, at least to some extent, motivated the u. Files are available under licenses specified on their description page.
The intercepted zimmermann telegram, the cryptanalysis of which brought the united states into the first world war, is the classic historical instance of the cryptanalysis of a twopart code. Media in category zimmermann telegram the following 15 files are in this category, out of 15 total. The zimmermann telegram or zimmermann note or zimmerman cable was a secret diplomatic communication issued from the german foreign office in january 1917 that proposed a military alliance between germany and mexico. While armies moved across the face of europe, the united states remained neutral. Zimmermann was the german foreign secretary took care of things with other. The zimmermann telegram i i oga national security agency. Transcript of zimmermann telegram 1917 our documents. This file is licensed under the creative commons attributionshare alike 3. We intend to begin on the first of february unrestricted submarine. It is named for the german man who sent it, arthur zimmermann. The british cryptographic office known as room 40 decoded the zimmermann telegram and handed it over to the united states in latefebruary 1917.
The zimmermann telegram or zimmermann note was an internal diplomatic communication issued from the german foreign office in january, 1917 that proposed a military alliance between germany and mexico in the event of the united states entering world war i against germany. If the united states entered world war i against germany, mexico would recover texas, arizona, and new mexico. The zimmermann telegram or zimmermann note was an internal diplomatic communication issued from the german foreign office in january 1917 that proposed a military alliance between germany and mexico in the event of the united states entering world war i against germany. The obvious threats to the united states contained in the telegram inflamed american public opinion against germany and helped convince congress to declare war against germany in 1917. The zimmermann telegram was a diplomatic note sent by the german foreign office to mexico in january 1917 which proposed a military alliance between the two nations should the united states enter world war i 19141918 on the side of the allies. The zimmermann telegram by thomas boghardt overdrive. Britain knew that all was lost unless the united states joined the war, but president wilson was unshakable in his neutrality.