Document Deep Dive: What Did the Zimmermann Telegram Say?
See how British cryptologists cracked the coded message that propelled the United States into World War I
- By Megan Gambino
- Smithsonian.com, August 21, 2012, Subscribe
On January 17, 1917, British code breakers in Room 40, the cryptoanalysis office of Great Britain’s Naval Intelligence, intercepted a telegram from Germany. At first, they suspected the coded message was a routine communication. But, soon enough, the cryptologists found that what they held in their hands was a top-secret missive that would shift the tides of World War I.
Chances are that you have studied the Zimmermann Telegram in a history class, but have you ever actually seen the coded message? German Foreign Minister Arthur Zimmermann sent the diplomatic message to Heinrich von Eckardt, the German ambassador in Mexico City, instructing him to speak to the president of Mexico. He proposed that the two nations strike an alliance; if Mexico waged war against the United States, thereby distracting Americans from the conflict in Europe, Germany would lend support and help Mexico reclaim Texas, New Mexico and Arizona.
Leaked to the public by President Woodrow Wilson, the inflammatory contents of the message pushed the United States into the war. “No other single cryptoanalysis has had such enormous consequences,” says David Kahn, author of The Codebreakers, a seminal work on cryptology.
In its collection, the National Archives holds the coded Zimmermann Telegram, as received by von Eckardt, as well as the English translation of the telegram. Click on the yellow tabs on the documents, below, to follow the story of how the message was deciphered.
The notes are based on a conversation with Kahn and information conveyed in Barbara W. Tuchman’s book The Zimmermann Telegram and at the National Cryptologic Museum in Fort Meade, Maryland.
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Comments (4)
What wasn't mentioned in this short article: Noe the free text 'Galveston' at the top of the wire. This is the kicker - the US was allowing Mexico to use our cable system during the war because their transatlantic cable had been cut (by the British). Talk about Chuzpah!
Posted by Dennis Doolittle on September 19,2012 | 11:21 PM
Click the "view document in full screen" down by the page #'s. On the right will be the option to click for the "original doc" pdf. Print from pdf. Good Luck!
Posted by Jake on August 27,2012 | 04:32 PM
I was able to print by doing this.... Click the four arrows box at the bottom where it says page1/page 2. That will make the document full size. On the right there will be options. Click the original document tab to bring it up as a pdf. Then at the bottom of the pdf screen, click the print option that pops up. Good luck!
Posted by Tina on August 27,2012 | 02:52 PM
I am a history teacher and need a copy of the telegram. The article states, "To print the document, click the "Original Document" link to open the original PDF." I searched very hard and could not find "original document" anywhere so I could print it out. Please help me!
Posted by Sammie Wester on August 26,2012 | 02:52 PM