Cesar Meza

HIST-1402

20190724

Telegram with a Translation of the Zimmerman Telegram

The Zimmerman Telegram was an encrypted message sent from Germany to

Mexico during WW1. The intent of this correspondence was to secure the support for
Mexico in the participation of the war against the U.S. In-turn Germany would return the
land lost during the Mexican-American war back to Mexico at the end of hostilities.
Besides the proposition of an alliance between Germany and Mexico. The telegram also
brings up inviting Japan in on the deal. The telegram itself was deciphered by British
intelligence and as shown was immediately sent to the U.S.
It was created to give the public. A first hand look into German efforts to secure
an alliance before declaring war with the U.S. It gives the raw evidence (the actual
telegram and deciphered message) not an interpretation by an author/historian. The
telegram also lets us see what the U.S received in the forms of intelligence during the
war. Giving us an insight on how primitive communication was a century ago. When the
general public thinks of the “Zimmerman Telegram” they imagine an uncoded telegram.
Yet here we see the great efforts Germany went to encrypt the telegram to keep its
contents top Secret.
The telegram helps historians have a better sense on how Germany. Operated
when proposing propositions which involved the use of encryption due to its top secret
intention. The telegram itself summarizes Germany's proposition in less than a page.
You would assume an alliance of this scale between the two countries during the first
world war. Would involve countless correspondence and offers yet the telegram itself
manages to be compact and straight to the point. More importantly it gives historians
more insight on why the U.S declared war on Germany after trying to remain neutral
throughout the war.
The fact that after British intelligence let the U.S know about the telegraph, they
also let the U.S that it had cracked the Secret German Cipher. This was instrumental in
getting the support and trust of the U.S. As the knowledge that the code had been
broken in itself was a major advantage for the British in the war against Germany. This
gives us a peek at the friendly attitudes between the U.S and Great Britain during the
first world war. The proposition in the telegram between Germany and Mexico. Lets us
know that Germany was well aware of the threat the U.S was even before they had
boots on the ground in Europe.
The Zimmerman telegram could be interpreted as a sign of the state of the
German war machine in 1917. Seeing as Germany was seeking an alliance after 4
years of conflict could be a sign that they knew the war was coming to an end soon.
Thus it could be said to be an act of desperation to prevent the U.S from being what
would dictate the final victor. Another interpretation could be that the telegram shows
how aware Germany and Great Britain where of the U.S growing strength as a
superpower. An alliance with the U.S could be the final blow to the German war effort.
Thus disrupting the American war machine by sea and by land with the aid of Mexico
would be necessary to win the war in Germany's favor.
The telegraph was deciphered by British Intelligence not American Intelligence.
This event occurred during the first world war. During the period where U.S was itself
neutral during the conflict. Thus we can assume the British Intelligence decipher the
telegram in the hopes of securing U.S participation in the war in their favor against
Germany. The fact that Mexico never received the telegram as it was intercepted.
Makes us question whether Mexico would actually have waged war against the U.S.