Decode Worksheet for the Zimmermann Telegram
3/2/1917
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In January 1917 the United States was neutral in the European War that would eventually be called World War I. An intercepted telegram between Germany and Mexico would be the catalyst to change everything. This decode of the Zimmermann Telegram helped to prove that the contents of the telegram were true and that it was not a hoax.
The British Government asked Edward Bell, who worked in the American embassy in London, to verify the contents of the telegram. He decoded it using cipher 13042, which was previously retrieved during World War I by the British Government. This original decipher of the Zimmermann Telegram was sent via letter from Ambassador Walter Page to the Secretary of State.
The British Government asked Edward Bell, who worked in the American embassy in London, to verify the contents of the telegram. He decoded it using cipher 13042, which was previously retrieved during World War I by the British Government. This original decipher of the Zimmermann Telegram was sent via letter from Ambassador Walter Page to the Secretary of State.
Transcript
[along left edge of page]CLASSIFICATION CANCELED
By authority of: Letter of 7-28-47 from R. A. Humphrey, S. D., to archivist of U.S.
Name and title of person making the change:
Carl L. [Lokki?], Archivist no change
Date 12-23-57
See also / 82a
American Embassy, London.
[Purple Ink Stamp] DEPARTMENT OF STATE RECEIVED MAR 9 1935 DIVISION OF COMMUNICATION AND RECORDS
Dear Mr. Secretary:
I enclose the original decode of Z's message as deciphered this morning by Mr. Bell and an Admiralty official.
Let me add that much credit for all this belongs to Bell.
Your friend
Walter H. Page
CLASSIFICATION CANCELED Authority: letter
of 1-8-58 from W.H. Anderson, State Dept.
By R. Q. Heise Date 5-28-64
862.20212/81 1/2 Confidential File
1
130 = no. of tel No. 3
13042 = no. of cipher
13401 = answertings amt
8501 = telegraphiert
115 = Jan 16
3528 - colon :
416 = No : 1
17214 - garry geheim
6491 - sebst
11310 = zu
18147 = entziffern
18222 = stop
[stamped in horizontally in center]
CLASSIFICATION CANCELLED
By authority of: Letter of 7-28-47 from
R. A. Humphrey, S. A. to Archivist of U.S.
Name and title of person making the change:
Carl L. Loleky[?], Archivist in CHarge
Date 12-23- 57
[handwritten along right edge]
F.W. 862.20212/ 81 1/2
[stamped along right edge]
[strikethrough] Confidential [/strikethough]
[stamped along right edge in purple ink]
FILED
MAR 13 1935
2
21560 - wir
10247- beabsichtigen
11518 am
23677 ersten
13605 Februar
3494 un.
14963 ein gesibränt
98092 u boot.
5905 krieg
11311 zu
10392 beginnen
10371 .
0302 es (wünde) wird
21290 versuch en t
5161 werden
39695 v sveinigsen staaten v. Amerika
23571 trotzdem
17504 neutral
3.
11269 = zu
18276 erhalten
18101 .
0317 für den fall
0228 das Dies
17694 nicht
4473 gelingen
22284 sollte
22200 .
19452 schlag-en
21589 wir
67893 Mexico.
5569 auf
13918 folgend
8958 grundlage
12137 Bündnis
1333 vor
4725 .
4458 gemeinsam
5905 krieg
17166 führen
13851 .
4
4458 gemeinsam
17149 Friedenschlutz.
14471 .[circled]
6706 reichlich
13850 finanziell
12224 unterstützung
6929 und
14991 ein verständnis
7382 unsererseits.
158(5) [?] of 3
67893 Mexico.
14218 in
36477 Texas
5870 s
17553 nen
67893 Mexico.
5879 ,
5454 AR
16102 IZ
15217 ON
22801 A
5
17138 früher
21001 ursloren
17388 gebiet
1446 zurück
23638 erobsein
18222 .
6719 Regelung
14331 im
15021 einzelnen
23845 Euer Hochwohlgeborene
3156 überlassen
23552 .
22096 sie
21604 wohen (wollen)
4797 vorstehendes
9497 [mark to indicate 9 and 7 should be transposed] dem
22464 Präsident
20855 streng
4377 geheim
3/23610 eröffnen
18140 ,
6
22260 sobald
5905 kriegs [line drawn connecting this word to the next]
13347 Ausbruch
20420 mit
39689 Vereinigten Staaten
13732 (fest)
20067 steht
6929 und
5275 anregen ung
18507 hinzufügen
52262 Japan
1540 von
22049 sich
13339 aus
11265 zu
22295 sofort-ig
10439 beitret-ung
14814 sinladen
4178 [setze infinitio mit zu] } einzuladen
6993 und
8784 gleichzeitig
7
7632 zwischen
7357 Uns
6926 und
52262 Japan
11267 zu
2110 vermilteln
12172 .
9346 Bilte
9559 den
22464 Präsident
15874 darauf
18502 hin weisen
18500 >
15857 dab
2188 rücksichtslos
5376 anwendung
7381 unserer
98092 U boote
16127 jitzt
13486 Aussicht
9350 bietet
9220 ,
76036 England
8
14219 in
5144 wenigen
2831 Monate
17920 EN
11347 zum
17142 Frieden
11264 zu
7667 zwingen
7762 .
15099 Empfang
9110 bestätigen
10482 .
97556 Zimmermann
3569 .
3670 Schluss der Depesche
This primary source comes from the General Records of the Department of State.
National Archives Identifier: 302024
Full Citation: Letter from Ambassador Walter Page to the Secretary of State: Original Decipher of the Zimmermann Telegram; 3/2/1917; 862.20212/81 1/2; 862.20212 / 57 through 862.20212 / 311; Central Decimal Files, 1910 - 1963; General Records of the Department of State, Record Group 59; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/zimmermann-telegram-decode-worksheet, March 16, 2025]Activities that use this document
- The Zimmermann Telegram
Created by the National Archives Education Team
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