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The Zimmermann Telegram

On the 17th of January 1917, the British Naval intelligence intercepted a wireless transmission from Germany. The intercept contained a bunch of numbers in groups of three, four or five. An initial glimpse did not reveal much about its contents except that the number 13042 found on the first line could indicate that the text might have been encoded using the German 13042 diplomatic code, a probable improvisation of the earlier 13040 code. Reverend William Montgomery and Nigel de Grey, both from Room 40, the British Naval Intelligence cryptanalysis division, started working on the code, little knowing that what they would eventually unravel would change the course of the World War.

Using a British-architected version of the German 13040 code book, Revd. Montgomery and Gray were able to figure out with some certainty that the telegram was authored by the German Foreign Secretary, Arthur Zimmermann. Next, they identified the words "For your Excellency's personal information" in the text and seeing that the message was intended to reach the German Embassy in Washington, they concluded that the recipient could be the German Ambassador Count Johann von Bernstorff. Soon, phrases like "Mexico" and "Japan and ourselves" cropped up from the text and what seemed like just another German communication turned out to be a thriller for the two cryptanalysts. Wondering whether Japan was changing sides with Germany, they set out on their quest to decipher the text completely. They were stupefied by what they discovered. The telegram conveyed to the ambassador, Germany's intention to start deploying her submarines aggressively into the war from the 1st of February that year. When Germany had earlier announced this 'unrestricted submarine warfare' policy, as American President Woodrow Wilson chose to term it, America expressed her disapproval, upon which Germany promptly withdrew the policy.



However, the telegram now expressed Germany's decision to disregard the American opposition and go ahead with the policy, while trying to keep America neutral at the same time. However, if things did not work out as planned and if America decided to join the Allies, the telegram directed the German ambassador to offer Mexico a "proposal of alliance": Germany would help Mexico regain the lost territories in New Mexico, Arizona and Texas from the United States of America. Bernstorff was also asked to suggest that the Mexican President collaborate with Japan. Furthermore, Bernstorff was to emphasize that the use of the German submarines in warfare would soon force England "to make peace" - an element probably to woo the Mexican President to accept the offer. Zimmermann's idea was that if the USA, which was neutral till then, decided to take sides with the Allies, Mexico could then keep the USA occupied.

Having deciphered the telegram, Room 40 saw itself staring at a dilemma: to publish the findings or not. If they released the contents, the USA would realize that Britain had been intercepting trans-Atlantic American cables. Moreover, the Germans would stop using the 13042 code in future correspondences, if they knew that it had been broken, thus unplugging an intelligence channel. Hence, Admiral Sir William Reginald Hall, the Director of British Naval Intelligence decided against declassifying the telegram.

Soon, the Germans indeed resorted to their unrestricted submarine warfare, much to the disappointment of America. Now, since the beginning of the war, President Woodrow Wilson had strived hard to steer America clear of war. Hence, he decided to preserve America's neutrality and chose not to react aggressively. However, President Wilson soon got wind of the Zimmermann Telegram and was told that the British Naval Intelligence had intercepted it in Mexico. The telegram was released to the press on the President's orders and on March 1, 1917, it was published in two of the leading leading newspapers in New York, The Times and The World. The Zimmermann telegram set shock waves traversing among the Americans. Zimmermann publicly acknowledged that he did send the telegram and America was flabbergasted . Here she was trying to mind her own business and trying to bring an end to the war, and suddenly she finds herself hurled into the web. On April 2, 1917, President Wilson proposed to declare war on Germany in the Congress. And thus America found herself propelled into the war, thanks to the famous, rather infamous, Zimmerman telegram.

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