Due to its convoluted history, several versions of the telegram exist.
The original version
The telegram was originally to be a letter sent by the cargo submarine Deutschland. Below is this original version.
Berlin, den 13. Januar 1917.
Gesandter von Eckardt
Mexico. A.Nr. 2
Im Postziffern
Ganz geheim. Selbst entziffern.
Wir beabsichtigen, am 1. Februar, uneingeschränkten U Boot Krieg zu beginnen. Es wird versucht werden, Amerika trotzdem neutral zu halten/erhalten.
Für den Fall, daß dies nicht gelingen sollte, schlagen wir Mexiko mit/auf folgender Grundlage Bündnis vor: Gemeinsame Kriegführung. Gemeinsamer Friedens-schluß. Reichliche finanzielle Unterstützung und Einverständnis unsererseits, daß Mexiko in Texas, Neu-Mexiko, Arizona früher verlorenes Gebiet zurückerobert. Regelung im einzelnen Euer Hochwohlgeboren überlassen.
Euer pp./Hochwohlgeboren wollen Vorstehendes Präsidenten streng geheim eröffnen sobald Kriegausbruch mit Vereinigten Staaten feststeht und Anregung hinzufügen, Japan von sich aus zu sofortigem Beitritt einzuladen und gleichzeitig zwischen uns und Japan zu vermitteln.
Bitte Präsidenten darauf hinweisen/hinzuweisen, daß rücksichtslose Anwendung unserer U Boote jetzt Aussicht bietet, England in wenigen Monaten zum Frieden zu zwingen.
Drahtbericht.
Berlin, January 13 1917.
To von Eckardt
Mexico A. Nr. 2
In Postal cipher
Most secret decipher yourself.
We intend to begin on the first of February unrestricted submarine warfare. We shall endeavour in spite
of this to keep America neutral.
In the event of this not succeeding, 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. The settlement in detail is left to you.
You will inform the President of the above most secretly, as soon as the outbreak of war with the United States is certain and add the suggestion that he should on his own initiative invite Japan to immediate adherence and at the same time mediate between Japan and ourselves.
Please call the President’s attention to the fact, that the ruthless employment of our submarines now offers the prospect of compelling England to make peace in a few months.
Acknowledge receipt.
Text of the telegram, as originally prepared.
California is conspicuously missing from the “lost territory” that Mexico could regain; this is because it was to be reserved for Japan should it join the effort against the United States.
The Room 40 version
The telegram intercepted by Room 40 was encoded in Code 0075, which they could not fully decode. Below is Room 40’s partial decoding of it; notice how they weren’t sure which country Germany wanted to ally with as 0979, the code word for “Mexico”, didn’t figure in their reconstructed codebook. Also the entire sentence about the “lost territory”, which would have confirmed that “Mexico” was correct, remained undecoded.
Most secret for Your Excellency’s personal information and to be handed on to the Imperial Minister in ? Mexico with…..by a safe route.
Tel. No. 1:
We propose to begin on the 1st February unrestricted submarine warfare. In doing so however we shall endeavour to keep America neutral.
…..? If we should not (succeed in doing so), we propose to (?Mexico) an alliance upon the following basis.
(joint) conduct of the war.
(joint) conclusion of peace.
……? Your Excellency should for the present inform the President secretly (that we expect) war with the U.S.A. (possibly) (……Japan) and at the same time to negociate between us and Japan…..
(Indecypherable sentence meaning please tell the President) that ….. our submarines ….. will compel England to peace in a few months. Acknowledge receipt.
Typed copy of Room 40’s partial decrypt of the telegram
The Mexico version
The telegram was then sent from the German Embassy in Washington to the German legation in Mexico City, encoded in Code 13040. Notice the high charge, $85.27, which is equivalent to $2,130 in 2025.
The telegram as sent from Washington to Mexico City
| 130 telegram # | 13042 code | 13401 | 8501 telegraphiert telegraphs | 115 Januar 16 January 16 | 3528 : : | 416 nummer 1 number 1 | 17214 ganz geheim | 6491 selbst yourself | 11310 zu to |
| 18147 entziffern decipher | 18222 . . | 21560 Wir We | 10247 beabsichtigen intend | 11518 am from the | 23677 ersten first | 13605 Februar February | 3494 un- un- | 14936 eingeschränkt restricted | |
| 98092 U-boo U-boat | 5905 Krieg war | 11311 zu to | 10392 beginnen begin | 10371 . . | 0302 Es wird It will | 21290 versucht attempted | 5161 werden be | 39695 Vereinigten Staaten United States | |
| 23571 trotzdem nevertheless | 17504 neutral neutral | 11269 zu to | 18276 erhalen keep | 18101 . . | 0317 Für den Fall In the event | 0228 dass dies that this | 17694 nicht not | 4473 gelingen succeed | |
| 23284 sollte should | 22200 , , | 19452 schlagen offer | 21589 wir we | 67893 Mexiko Mexico | 5569 auf on | 13918 folgender following | 8958 Grundlage terms | 12137 Bündnis alliance | |
| 1333 vor – | 4725 . . | 4458 Gemeinsam Together | 5905 Krieg war | 17166 führen make | 13851 . . | 4458 Gemeinsam Together | 17149 Friedenschluss peace | 14471 . . | 6706 Reichlich Generous |
| 13850 finanzielle financial | 12224 unterstützung support | 6929 und and | 14991 einverständnis understanding | 7382 unserer seits our part | 15857 dass that | 67893 Mexiko Mexico | 14218 in in | 36477 Texas Texas | |
| 5870 , , | 17553 Neue New | 67893 Mexiko Mexico | 5870 , , | 5454 AR AR | 16102 IZ IZ | 15217 ON ON | 22801 A A | 17138 früher former | |
| 21001 verloren lost | 17388 Gebiet territory | 7446 zurück back | 23638 erobern conquer | 18222 . . | 6719 Regelung Settlement | 14331 im in the | 15021 Einzelnen details | 23845 Euer Hochwohlgeboren Your Excellency | |
| 3156 überlassen to be left | 23552 . . | 22096 Sie You | 21604 wollen will | 4797 vorstehendes of the foregoing | 9497 dem the | 22464 Präsident President | 20855 streng in sctrictest | 4377 geheim secrecy | |
| 23610 eröffnen inform | 18140 , , | 22260 sobald as soon as | 5905 Kriegs war’s | 13347 Ausbruch outbreak | 20420 mit with | 39689 Vereinigten Staaten United States | 13732 fest certain | 20667 steht is | |
| 6929 und and | 5275 Anregung suggestion | 18507 hinzufügen add | 52262 Japan Japan | 1340 von by | 22049 sich himself | 13339 aus from | 11265 zu to | 22295 sofortig immediately | |
| 10439 beitretung join | 14814 einladen invite | 4178 – | 6992 und and | 8784 gleichzeitig at the same time | 7632 zwischen betzeen | 7357 uns us | 6926 und and | 52262 Japan Japan | 11267 zu to |
| 21100 vermitteln mediate | 21272 . . | 9346 Bitte Please | 9559 den the | 22464 Präsident President | 15874 darauf of this | 18502 hinweisen point to | 18500 , , | 15857 dass that | |
| 2188 rücksichtslos ruthless | 5376 Anwendung employment | 7381 unserer our | 98092 U-boote U-boats | 16127 jetzt now | 13486 Aussicht prospect | 9350 bietet offers | 9220 , , | 76036 England England | 14219 in in |
| 5144 wenigen few | 2831 Monat- | 17920 -en -s | 11347 zum to | 17142 Frieden peace | 11264 zu be | 7667 zwingen compleled | 7762 . . | 15099 Empfang Receipt | 9110 bestahigen acknowledge |
| 10482 . . | 97556 Zimmermann Zimmermann | 3569 . . | 3670 Schluss der Depesche End of dispatch |
The published version
A slightly different version of the telegram was given to the press for publication.
Berlin, Jan. 19, 1917.
On February 1 we intend to begin submarine warfare without restriction. In spite of this, it is our intention to endeavor to keep the United States neutral. If this attempt is not successful, we propose an alliance on the following basis with Mexico:
That we shall make war together and together make peace; we shall give general financial support, and it is understood that Mexico is to reconquer her lost territory of New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona. The details are left to you for settlement.
You are instructed to inform the President of Mexico of the above in the greatest confidence as soon as it is certain that there will be an outbreak of war with the United States, and suggest that the President of Mexico shall on his own initiative communicate with Japan suggesting the latter’s adherence at once to this plan,
and at the same time offer to mediate between Germany and Japan.
Please call to the attention of the President of Mexico that the employment of ruthless submarine warfare now promises to compel England to make peace in a few months.
—Zimmermann
The telegram as published in the press