The Importance of the Zimmerman Telegram to the War Effort
During World War I, there were many different efforts made by the Americans and the Germans to get an upper hand on the other. Many of these efforts were made through the espionage community. These different acts were meant to both throw off the other side from what was truly going on as well as to elicit a certain response from the other side. Many of these efforts were thwarted by counterespionage tactics like message intercepts and decoding techniques which were developed by the Americans and the British to determine real messages and those designed to create problems.
One of the messages which was created before the Americans even entered the war effort was called the Zimmerman Telegram. This telegram was created by Arthur Zimmerman in 1917 to make the Americans believe that the Mexican nation was set to attack in order to reclaim the land which was taken from the Mexicans a little over 50 years previously. The plan was to engage the two sides in a war which would tie up the arms created by the United States and stem the flow to the Allied forces.
What Was in the Message?
The Zimmerman Telegram detailed out how the Mexican nation would be able to reclaim their territory through the financial support of the German nation. They were instructed to not only attack the United States of America, but to get the Japanese in on the fight as well. The Mexicans were promised to be able to reclaim the areas which were then comprised of Texas, Arizona and New Mexico. It also detailed out about how new submarine warfare would force the British to agree to peace.
How the Message Was Caught
The Zimmerman Telegram which was sent to the Mexican nation was encrypted with a series of numbers designed to make sure that the United States and the Allied forces would not understand the message. It was intercepted and decoded at the British Room 40. This team of encryption experts were able to determine the nature of the message and made sure that it was passed on to the necessary diplomats for the United States. The information was meant to warn the Americans.
Why the Message Failed
Even though the message was intercepted, it did not cause any concern for the Americans. It also did not get the Mexicans excited about attacking the United States. After considering the terms of the Zimmerman Telegram, it was determined that there was no way to physically attack the Americans without losing. Not only did they not have as strong of a fighting force. They also did not have the proper means for manufacturing arms. They would have to purchase the arms from the very country that they meant to attack.