[edit] Guide Note
Arthur Zimmermann was the Foreign Secretary of the German Empire in 1916-1917. He is most known for his coded telegram, in an attempt to influence relations between Mexico and the United States.
[edit] Fast Facts
- Born: October 5, 18641
- Birthplace: Marggrabova in East Prussia2
- German Foreign Secretary: 1916-19172
- Most known for the Zimmermann telegram2
- Died: June 6, 19401
[edit] Life and Career
Arthur Zimmermann was born in East Prussia (now Poland). He earned his doctorate of law and went on to serve in various departments of German civil service. He was appointed Foreign Secretary in November of 1916. Roughly a year later, he retired of his own accord due largely to the controversy surrounding the famous Zimmermann telegram.2 He died in Berlin of pneumonia at the age of 75.3
[edit] Zimmermann Telegram
On January 17, 1917, British intelligence intercepted a coded message from Arthur Zimmermann to the German ambassador in Washington, who in turn forwarded it to the ambassador in Mexico. The telegram undermined an agreement between Germany and Mexico regarding a planned invasion of the United States. British cryptographers made short work of decoding the message. Within two days, the U.S. ambassador in Britain passed the message on the President Wilson who released the information to the press, shortly after.4 3
[edit] Related Pages on Mahalo
Woodrow Wilson |
Theodore Roosevelt |
Winston Churchill |
Alexander Kerensky |
Leon Trotsky |
Adolf Hitler |
Holocaust | World War I | U.S. History | Mexican History | European History | Military History
