The Telegram That Pulled America into WWI

On March 1, 1917, exactly one hundred years ago, U.S. newspaper headlines prominently reported on a German telegram intercepted by the American government. This telegram was sent by German Foreign Minister Arthur Zimmermann to his ambassador in Mexico, instructing him on actions to take if America abandoned its neutrality and intervened in the war.

"Should this happen," Zimmermann wrote, "we'll propose an alliance to Mexico on the following terms: fight together against the U.S., negotiate peace together, and with our generous financial support, recognize Mexico's right to reclaim lost territories in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona."

At the time, America was divided on whether to enter World War I. A slim majority believed that staying out of the bloody European conflict was best. However, as the war dragged on and German aggression intensified, the American government started losing patience.

Woodrow Wilson, the U.S. president at the time, was particularly reluctant to engage in the conflict. He devoted significant efforts to mediating between the parties to achieve a peace agreement. But Germany wasn't interested in compromise, and Wilson began to slowly but surely believe that entering the war was inevitable. Then came the Zimmermann Telegram.

The British intelligence service, as part of its wartime efforts, intercepted the telegram. They regularly monitored diplomatic correspondence passing through the U.S. Embassy in London, which included telegrams Germany sent to America. When the British decoded the message, they faced a dilemma: how to convey the information to the U.S. without revealing they were essentially spying on the Americans?

Ultimately, the telegram, with identifying markers removed, was handed over to the American ambassador in Britain, who, without asking unnecessary questions, passed its contents to President Woodrow Wilson. Wilson, in turn, didn't rush to leak the telegram's content to the public. Only when a congressional debate on whether to go to war began did Wilson publish the telegram to apply pressure on the opposition.

The encrypted version of the Zimmermann Telegram

Initially, the authenticity of the Zimmermann Telegram was questioned. Many American journalists were skeptical, finding it hard to believe that the German Foreign Minister would dare make such a bold proposal to Mexico. But to everyone's surprise, just two days later, the German Foreign Minister held a press conference and confirmed the telegram's authenticity.

This marked the end of American neutrality. Public outrage erupted, the United States severed all relations with Germany and its allies, and Congress voted in favor of going to war. Once the U.S. entered the fray, Germany's defeat was imminent. Within less than a year and a half, Germany and its allies were completely defeated. In the Land of Israel, the long-standing Turkish rule ended, marking the beginning of the British mandate.

Historian Barbara Tuchman, who wrote an entire book titled 'The Zimmermann Telegram' about the incident, writes: "The telegram shattered the American illusion that they could remain happily isolated from the affairs of other nations. In terms of world affairs, it was a minor conspiracy by a German minister. For the American people, it was the end of an era of naive belief."