When the Zimmermann Telegram was sent, Germany had been at war for a couple of years and things had been going okay. Not great, just so-so. They didn't have a lock on this thing yet, and actually it was a bit of a stalemate. Turns out they were pretty evenly matched with their opponents. Do they let you have a tie in wars like they do in soccer? No? Anyway, Germany was getting scared that if they didn't do something big, they might actually lose. And if America joined in, well that would be truly terrifying.
All you have to do is squint, and you can practically see their fear in this telegram.
Questions About Fear
- What advice would you have given to Germany midway through World War I when things were going nowhere (except into a muddy trench)? Keep fighting? Negotiate? Lash out at cargo ships?
- Instead of trying to keep the U.S. out of the war, should Germany have offered to bring the U.S. in on the side of the Central Powers? Why or why not?
- Based on Germany's fear as revealed in the Zimmermann Telegram, should the U.S. have joined the war earlier? Might this have saved lives and prevented further damage?
Chew on This
The Zimmermann Telegram was a desperate Hail Mary by a nation paralyzed with the fear of losing a war they falsely assumed would be a cakewalk.
Germany may have feared the U.S. entry into World War I, but not nearly as much as the U.S. public feared the same thing.