Lost World War I History: Mexico Nearly Invaded America in 1917

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Lost World War I History: Mexico Nearly Invaded America in 1917
By Michael Peck/ Military/ Warrior/ scout.com

"It was one hundred years ago when Mexico almost invaded the United States.

In January 1917, German foreign secretary Arthur Zimmermann dispatched a coded telegram to Heinrich von Eckardt, the German ambassador to Mexico. With Germany locked in bloody stalemate with the Allies in France, and Britain’s naval blockade strangling the German economy, Kaiser Wilhelm’s government was about to make a fateful decision: declare unrestricted submarine warfare, which would allow U-boats to sink merchant ships on sight.

That also meant sinking the ships of neutral powers, most especially the United States, which would likely respond by declaring war on Germany. But Zimmermann had instructions for his ambassador: “We make Mexico a proposal of alliance on the following basis: make war together, make peace together, generous financial support and an understanding on our part that Mexico is to reconquer the lost territory in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.”

This was the famous Zimmermann Telegram. Decoded by the British, who passed it on to the Americans, it became a justification—along with unrestricted submarine warfare—for the U.S. declaration of war on Germany in April 1917...."

(Photo: Wikimedia commons, 247Sports)


For those interested in learning more about this chapter in American History, a very interesting read is " The Fourth Horseman: One Man's Mission to Wage The Great War in America" by Robert Koening

"The story of Anton Dilger brings to life a missing chapter in U.S. history and shows, dramatically, that the Great European War was in fact being fought on the home front years before we formally joined it. The doctor who grew anthrax and other bacteria in that rented house was an American—the son of a Medal of Honor winner who fought at Gettysburg—on a secret mission, for the German Army in 1915. The Fourth Horseman tells the startling story of that mission led by a brilliant but conflicted surgeon who became one of Germany's most daring spies and saboteurs during World War I and who not only pioneered biowarfare in his native land but also lead a last-ditch German effort to goad Mexico into invading the United States. It is a story of mysterious missions, divided loyalties, and a new and terrible kind of warfare that emerged as America—in spite of fierce dissention at home—was making the decision to send its Doughboys to the Great War in Europe.

This story has never been told before in full. And Dilger is a fascinating analog for our own troubled times. Having thrown off the tethers of obligation to family and country, he became a very dangerous man indeed: A spy, a saboteur, and a zealot to a degree that may have so embarrassed the German High Command that, after the war, they ordered his death rather than admit that he worked for them."

Richard

 

[Bunk]

Thank you for posting these Richard. I find them interesting and educational.

Have a happy Thanksgiving.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

FYI - Robert Koenig, author of the The Fourth Horsemen, is a former college roommate, and we remain good friends to this day.

 

[wackymother]

I always remember the Zimmerman Telegram, because when I took high school U.S. History 2, the teacher (who did most of the test based on information in his classroom lesson) had one question on a test that was designed to see if we had done the reading: "What was the Zimmerman Note?"

Of course NONE of us had done the reading. My friend wrote, "A note that Mrs. Zimmerman writes to my mother to thank her for the flowers."

 

[WalnutBaron]

Thanks, Richard, for offering yet again another fascinating snippet of American history. As it turned out, the Mexican government was intrigued by the German proposal, but ultimately turned down the offer from Germany for several reasons: 1) their assessment (correctly diagnosed) was that their military could not possibly challenge the U.S. military in what would amount to an unprovoked assault on U.S. sovereignty and territory (though some would argue the U.S. had basically done the same thing 70 years earlier during what we now call the Mexican War); 2) even if they did somehow defeat the Americans to reclaim Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, they were concerned about how they would manage to hold on to those territories, figuring that the citizens would be restive, well-armed, and more than willing to engage Mexican forces to fight for their independence from Mexico; 3) they had little regard for the Germans' promise of "generous financial support"--not only because Germany's coffers were being drained by what was then a 2 1/2-year all-out war in Europe, but also because the German Kaiser's credibility with foreign powers was anything but strong.

As we know, the Americans entered The Great War just three months later, in April 1917. It was the tipping point, bringing to bear the military might of a large power on the side of the Allies and against the Axis powers. The War ended in November 1918. Today, we think of the terrible loss of American lives during that short 19-month period as horrific: more than 116,000 deaths. But the American losses were a pittance compared to the main participants. Germany lost more than 2,000,000. Austria-Hungary lost 1.8 million. France lost 1.7 million. The United Kingdom lost more than 800,000. And total deaths by all participants, including neutral nations, amounted to a staggering 16 million, with another 22 million suffering serious injuries.

 

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In 1917, Mexico Actually Considered Invading the United States

In 1917, Mexico Actually Considered Invading the United States

In the end, Mexico turned down the proposal.

nationalinterest.org

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Richard

 

[am1]

In 1917, Mexico Actually Considered Invading the United States

In 1917, Mexico Actually Considered Invading the United States

In the end, Mexico turned down the proposal.

nationalinterest.org

.


Richard

Went with the slower way of doing it.