Sunday, February 26, 2017

The Americans finally see the Zimmermann Telegram

20 February 1917 The American Star Line freighter Algonquin, loaded with about $1.25M in food stuffs leaves New York Harbor bound for London. She would become the next American ship sunk by the Germans.

24 February 1917 U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain Walter Page having been given the copy of the decrypted telegram by Admiral Hall, sends the decrypted Zimmermann telegram to the U.S. State Department in Washington.

27 February 1917 U.S. Secretary of State Robert Lansing shows President Wilson the original telegram sent by the Germans over the American diplomatic cable to Bernstorff in Washington on 16 January. Lansing also shows the President the decrypted telegram received from Walter Page in London; the decryption is of the telegram sent by Bernstorff from Washington to Mexico City in the German Diplomatic 13040 code. Wilson is not happy. He authorizes Lansing to release the telegram to the American press. Lansing calls in the Washington correspondent of the Associated Press and gives him the details of the telegram on 28 February 1917.

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

The Americans See the Zimmermann Telegram for the first time

22 February 1917 Admiral Hall shows the decrypted Zimmermann telegram to Edward Bell, the intelligence liaison in the U.S. Embassy in London. The next day, 23 February 1917, Foreign Secretary Balfour formally delivers the telegram to U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain Walter Page. Page and Bell prepare a message to the State Department and the President.

Sunday, February 19, 2017

The British finish their work on the Zimmermann Telegram.

19 February 1917 Room 40 completes its decryption of the Zimmermann Telegram. The final message that von Bernstorff forwarded to von Eckhardt on January 19th  reads:

"We intend to begin on the first of February unrestricted submarine warfare.  We shall endeavor in spite of this to keep the United States of America neutral.  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.  The settlement in detail is left to you. 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.  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.

The next step for Admiral Hall is to show the telegram to the Americans at the U.S. Embassy and convince them of the authenticity of the telegram.

Monday, February 13, 2017

The sinking of the Lyman M. Law


12 February 1917 A four-masted U.S. schooner the Lyman M. Law, carrying a cargo of wood from Stockton, Maine to Palermo, Italy was stopped and sunk by the German submarine U-35 early on a bright, sunny Monday morning. The Lyman M. Law was about 25 miles off the coast of Sardinia and near the port of Cagliari when she was attacked. The Germans allowed the crew to abandon ship before sinking the Law. (see http://uboat.net/wwi/ships_hit/3777.html ). This was the second U.S. merchant vessel sunk by the Germans since the resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare on 1 February.

Friday, February 10, 2017

Zimmermann Telegram: the last piece falls in place


10 February 1917 British Director of Naval Intelligence Admiral Hall receives a copy of the Zimmermann Telegram that was stolen by a British agent from a telegraph office in Mexico City. The last piece of the puzzle, this provides the copy that Admiral Hall can give to the Americans and hide the fact that the British intercepted and decoded the original. 

Because this version of the telegram (from Count von Bernstorff in Washington to German Envoy Heinrich von Eckardt in Mexico City) is encrypted using the older 13040 German diplomatic code, Hall can safely show it to the Americans without revealing the British are now partially breaking the new 0075 code.

Thursday, February 9, 2017

Zimmermann worried; Pershing leaves Mexico; Hall delivers the Telegram

5 February 1917 German Foreign Minister Alfred Zimmermann telegraphs German Resident Minister Heinrich von Eckardt in Mexico City again, urging him to conclude an arrangement with the Mexican government immediately. 

On the same day, the last American troops of the "Punitive Expedition," led by General John J. Pershing, leave Mexico. 

In London, British Director of Naval Intelligence (DNI) Admiral Sir William Reginald Hall is finally ready and takes the now mostly decrypted Zimmermann telegram across the street from Room 40 to the Foreign Office and delivers it to Lord Hardinge, the Permanent Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs.

Friday, February 3, 2017

U.S. Severs diplomatic relations with German Empire


3 February 1917 The U.S. severs diplomatic relations with Germany after the sinking of the American steamship Housatonic. In the next two months the Germans sink over 500 ships in the Atlantic, including 6 American ships, two in February and 4 in March. Their plan is to starve the British and get them to sue for peace within 6 months, leaving the Germans free to just fight the French.  

Ambassador von Bernstorff is called to the State Department late in the afternoon on 3 February and Secretary of State Lansing hands him back his passport and orders the embassy closed and all the staff expelled. Within 2 days von Bernstorff takes ship back to Germany, continuing to defend his efforts at peace. The U.S. and Germany edge closer and closer to war.

Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Germans resume unrestricted submarine warfare


1 February 1917 The Germans resume unrestricted submarine warfare in the Atlantic. Two days later an American steamer, the Housatonic is sunk in the north Atlantic, 20 miles south of Bishop Rock off the southwestern coast of England by the U-53. (All hands survived.) The Housatonic was carrying a cargo of wheat.