![]() ![]() The growth of MI5 and other powerful and free‒wheeling intelligence services patterned on Hall’s successful spy enterprise (and its famous Room 40) survived into the post‒war period and flourish on both sides of the Atlantic today. British naval intelligence chief ‘Blinker’ Hall took it upon himself to leak the telegram to the Americans without reference to the War Cabinet or Foreign Office. Wilson also hired publicist George Creel to head up the Committee on Public Information, the official administration propaganda outlet which churned out millions of pages of news print and sponsored hundreds of speakers in support of US participation in the conflict.įinally, the author uses the role of British naval intelligence in interception, decryption and disclosure of the Zimmerman to highlight the growth of powerful intelligence services engendered by total war and largely independent of responsible political control. In addition to sanctioning super‒patriotic leagues like the National Security League and the American Defense Society, the Post Office Department suppressed anti‒war and pacifist publications and the Attorney prosecuted and jailed anti‒war activists such as socialist labour leader Eugene Debs. Wilson knew this and took extraordinary measures to excite war fever and crush anti‒war sentiment. Despite the Zimmermann provocation US public opinion remained sharply divided on the subject of belligerency. In fact, however, the telegram only served to further polarize factions of American pacifists and interventionists. Like Wilson’s diplomatic confidant and emissary Colonel House, he favoured American entry into the Great War on the side of Great Britain and saw Zimmermann’s rash and ill‒informed gambit as decisive in this regard. Thus, these abortive German efforts to get Japan (a British ally) and Mexico (then in the throes of a civil war) to attack the United States had no chance of success.įor his part, US Secretary of State Robert Lansing effectively covered up the true provenance of the Zimmerman decryption. Unlikely as it seems, Zimmermann, an experienced diplomat, and his staff were woefully ignorant of political forces at work in America, Mexico and Japan. Zimmerman preferred to scapegoat German ambassador Henrich von Bernstorrf and the German embassy staff in Washington rather than admit to a rather obvious breakdown in cryptographic security. Moreover the Foreign Ministry failed to investigate carefully the circumstances surrounding disclosure of the telegram. Zimmerman’s action was typical of the dysfunctional German federation which lacked a central policy‒making body or individual. The disastrous decision to dispatch the telegram was taken by Foreign Secretary Zimmerman without reference to the German Chancellor, the Kaiser or the German general staff. ![]() Of equal importance are his brief, but revealing character sketches of the principal actors in the drama: German Foreign Secretary Arthur Zimmermann, British naval intelligence chief, William ‘Blinker’ Hall, Wilson confidant Colonel Edward House and US Secretary of State Robert Lansing among many other major and minor characters who played key roles in the drama. 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. Boghardt expertly dissects the political and military situation surrounding the decryption and dissemination of the notorious Zimmermann Telegram which triggered (but was not the cause) of America’s entry into The Great War. This telegram, written by German Foreign Secretary Arthur Zimmermann, is a coded message sent to Mexico, proposing a military alliance against the United States. In a well‒documented and closely argued text, the author draws on documents not available at the time Barbara Tuchman’s classic work was written in 1957 and takes a fresh look at the Zimmermann fiasco. Please call the President's attention to the fact that the ruthless employment of our submarines now offers the prospect of compelling England in a few months to make peace." Signed, ZIMMERMANN.US Naval Institute Press, 2012, $36.95, xii pages,ģ19pp, illustrations, bibliography, index. You will inform the President of the above most secretly as soon as the outbreak of war with the United States of America is certain and add the suggestion that he should, on his own initiative, invite Japan to immediate adherence and at the same time mediate between Japan and ourselves. In the event of this not succeeding, we make Mexico a proposal of alliance on the following basis: make war together, make peace together, generous financial support and an understanding on our part that Mexico is to reconquer the lost territory in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. We shall endeavor in spite of this to keep the United States of America neutral. "We intend to begin on the first of February unrestricted submarine warfare. ![]()
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