A Catalyst of WWI Begins The Era of Code
"No other single cryptanalysis has had such enormous consequences."
---David Kahn, author of The Codebreakers, in reference to the Zimmerman Telegram
The Zimmerman Telegram: Before the Zimmerman Telegram, the importance of conversing in unbreakable code had never been definitively established. Although the actual telegram was encrypted, this code was broken with relative ease to disastrous effect for the Axis Powers, specifically for Germany. Sent by Arthur Zimmerman to negotiate a potential alliance with Mexico should the U.S. attempt to join WWI, the Zimmerman Telegram blatantly voiced Germany's less-than-amiable intentions. Publicly available and undergoing widespread circulation in many newspapers, the Zimmerman Telegram sparked controversy over whether or not it was safe for America to stay her course and remain a neutral nation, especially when it had become so clear that other countries were plotting behind her back. The predominant catalyst that propelled the U.S. towards entering WWI, the Zimmerman Telegram emphasized the importance of secrecy during times of war. This precipitated a rise in the interest to improve both decryption and encryption techniques during the WWI timeframe, setting the scene for the role of code in WWII.