The Zimmermann Telegram (1958)

I can only imagine how popular this book must have been in its day. The First Great War was not a distant memory at the time of its publication. In fact, the events of World War I were probably still fresh in everyone's mind having just survived the Second World War. I know The Zimmerman Telegram was required reading for at least one political science course at my college.

Probably the most compelling thing about Tuchman's writing is her ability to make even well-known history as compelling whodunnit mystery. Written as smoothly as a novel The Zimmerman Telegram recounts the events leading up to the United State's involvement in World War I starting with a telegraph written by Arthur Zimmerman to Imperial German Minister in Mexico Von Eckhardt. This telegram was proposing a partnership between Germany, Mexico and Japan to form an allegiance against the U.S. Intercepted by the British, it is important to point out that the U.S. was reluctant to join the war until provoked by this telegram. ( )

Tuchman writes history like a novel and is always entertaining as well as informative. She also recognises that brevity is wit and does not overburden the story with detail. Her own with comes through with descriptions such as German-Americans "retreating across their hyphens," to declare their loyalty to the US ( )

פרשת כניסתה של ארה"ב למלחמת העולם הראשונה בעקבות י​ירוט ופענוח מברק גרמני למקסיקו שבו מתגלים תככי גרמ​ניה להכניס את מקסיקו ויפאן למלחמה נגד ארה"ב. ​
הספר הראשון של טוכמן שהצלחתי לגמור בזכות זה שהוא ​דק ,ועדיין אינני אוהב אותה. כתיבה אנקדוטית, רכילות​ית, גדושה פרטים ואנשים מיותרים עם מעט מאוד דגש על ​דמויות או תהליכים דומיננטיים. הפופולריות שלה לא מו​ ( )

Please see my review at http://my.timepage.org/?p=715 ( )

I have finished reading The Zimmermann Telegram and am very happy the book group decided to read it. It is clearly a glimpse into a world quite different from ours, today. The German aristocracy which led Germany into WWI is cut from a cloth that we barely can recognize today. I've never actually met someone who so unabashedly considers themselves to be unquestionably superior to all others, as did the Germans of the leadership in WWI. Of course, the British had their share of arrogance also and both contributed to the horrors of that first "world war". The Zimmermann telegram is dropped into this environment when the United States of American was nearly completely convinced to stay clear of any entanglements in the European mess. This telegram which suggested that Germany would support Mexico's attack to the southern border of the USA turned public opinion around on a dime, and off to war we did go.

And Barbara Tuchman's reputation as an excellent writer of history is totally justified. If you have any interest in North American, European, and Mexican history - read this short and fascinating book. ( )