The Zimmermann Telegram-Part 2: What Did Mexico Do?
In my last post, I wrote about the Zimmermann Telegram and the role it played in convincing the United States to enter World War I. A couple of days later as I talked to a friend about the subject, I realized I had no idea how Mexico responded. It had never occurred to me to ask.* In fact, I didn’t know whether Mexico fought at all. Luckily, some answers aren’t hard to find if you think to ask the question.
In 1917, Mexico had enough on its hands. The country was in the throes of brutal civil war.** What began in 1910 as an uprising by urban intellectuals and liberals**** against the dictatorship of Porfirio Diaz developed into full-scale revolution dominated by peasants and workers. The revolution quickly splintered into factions, the most prominent of which were led by Pancho Villa, Emiliano Zapata, and Venustiano Carranza. New regimes rose and fell. Rebel leaders had other rebel leaders assassinated. In 1917, Carranza, elected president for a second time, presided over the creation of a new constitution–a contradictory document which gave him dictatorial powers but confirmed many of the reforms the rebels had been fighting for.
In addition to fighting among themselves, the succession of Mexican governments also had to deal with political interference and occasional low-grade invasions from the United States.***** At one point, United States forces occupied the port of Veracruz for a period of six months–a preview of the kind of trouble Mexico could expect if it allied itself with Germany
Instead of accepting the Zimmermann offer, Carranza used the threat to negotiate for recognition of its new government by the United States in exchange for neutrality.
Question answered. Next?
*Another historical blind spot uncovered. Sigh.
**Known in history books as the Mexican Revolution. When you think about it, revolutions are by definition civil wars.*** At least, actual military revolutions. Not, say, the Scientific Revolution.
***Which leads me to another question I’ve never thought about: Are all civil wars revolutions? Hmmmm. I throw the question out for discussion by the Marginalia.
****Often the case with revolutions. You let them read and they get ideas. This is why dictatorial regimes try to control the press, ban books, etc. But I digress.
*****Wilson was prepared to be an isolationist when it came to war in Europe, but not when civil war next door threatened American business interests or led to violence across the border. If you’re interested in learning more about America’s interference in the Mexican revolution I strongly recommend Jack Beatty’s The Lost History of 1914: The Year the Great War Began.
The Zimmermann Telegram, or How A Campaign Promise Lost Its Punch*
Woodrow Wilson campaigned for re-election in the 1916 presidential campaign on the slogan “He kept us out of war.” He won by the thinnest of margins because of the implicit promise that he would continue to keep American out of the war that had ravage Europe for two years. The United States was neutral, isolationist, xenophobic, and happy to stay that way. (You see where this is going, right?)
Wilson had barely been sworn into office when international events made it difficult to keep that promise. In February, Germany broke its pledge to limit submarine warfare. In response, the United States broke off diplomatic relations with Germany. Anti-German sentiment began to spread.
The triggering event that brought America into the war occurred on February 24, when the British shared a little tidbit they’d been sitting on for a month. In January, British cryptographers deciphered a telegram they had intercepted from German Foreign Minister Arthur Zimmermann to Germany’s ambassador, Heinrich von Eckhardt. The telegram instructed von Eckhardt to offer Mexico land in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona (all areas that Mexico had previously lost to the United States) in exchange for alliance with Germany.
Five days later, the contents of the Zimmermann telegram appeared in the American press. Public flipped like an Olympic gymnast.
United States declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917: a latecomer in a war that made no sense.**
* I really wanted to title this post “That Time Western Union Started a War.” But sometimes a body has to show restraint.
**That’s a hundred years ago today, in case you didn’t catch it. Expect commemoration. In fact, go looking for it. Here’s a link to get you started: http://www.pritzkermilitary.org/explore/wwi/
Illuminate: An Invitation
Last week several of my writing friends and I embarked on a small adventure:* a Facebook Group called Illuminate–Shining the Light on Fabulous Nonfiction. (That tagline may have changed by the time you get there. It’s a work in progress.) Our goal is to connect readers who love mainstream narrative nonfiction–history, biography, literary studies, cultural studies–to the very best books and spark conversations about them. (The books, not the readers.) I think some/most/all of you share my passion for narrative history. I’d love to have you join us.
Membership is pretty painless. Unlike joining the Shriners or the Boy Scouts or the PTA, there are no meetings to attend. There isn’t even a secret handshake.**
If you’re interested, just go HERE and click the Join button. One of us will approve your membership and you’re in.***
And when the group has grown to a bazillion eager readers, you’ll be able to say you were there when it all began.
See you there?
*Because none of us have enough to do writing books.
**Though I must admit, I’m fond of funny hats. And I suspect we’d all qualify for a reading merit badge.
***We will not, however, approve creepy guys cruising Facebook, skeezy porn chicks, or bots. Unless they can prove that they read history and like it.