h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Cryptography - Codes and the Zimmerman Telegram - A87857815
Author: SashaQ - happysad - U9936370

Entry: Codes - A583850
Author: Cestus - U177822

I've been rummaging in the Flea Market again, and found an Entry that I think only needed a bit of polishing - see what you think

I enjoyed this one SashaQ. Just think what a different 20th century might have been without this one piece of information. America was very isolationist and not too willing to become involved as the world policeman in those days.

A good Entry, maybe a suggestion or two.

I would like to see a paragraph break between the story about Queen Elizabeth I and the Zimmerman telegram, as they are separated by several centuries.

>>Finally President Wilson faced evidence he could not ignore and the US entered the war on the winning side. While US forces had a fairly minimal impact on the front lines...

With 116,516 killed and 204,002 wounded US forces this might be a bit harsh, I know this is far less than the European losses, but I would rather their sacrifices not be so casually passed over.

I can think of at least four interesting WWII code stories I have found over the years. They have no place here, but if you are interested I would be happy to post a personal message to you

F S

Well said FS they were good men

Here's what the Zimmermann Telegram looks like, in case anybody wants to see it:

http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/zimmermann/

I have a couple of bones to pick about this, because I know this story pretty well. It caused a lot of problems for the US, getting involved in World War I - US society was a LOT better before 1917. But then, I'm still sour about the Espionage Act of 1917. (See A87835116) I discussed the amount of propaganda needed to get everybody on board with the war in A87209634.

I don't think it's exactly correct to say the Americans were 'shocked and humiliated'. They were shocked. They would have been even more shocked had they realised the extent of British manipulation involved. But they weren't humiliated.

'the US entered the war on the winning side.' I wouldn't say it that way. In the first place, the Allied side was not the winning side when the US entered the war. Denigrate the combat effectiveness of the AEF all you want - although the French didn't, and they particularly appreciated African American troops (which is more than their own people did) - but it was the threat of an almost limitless supply of fresh troops that convinced the German High Command that this was a losing proposition.

Arguably, the US could have helped end WWI differently - by joining on the side of Germany. If only Zimmermann hadn't written that silly telegram.

By the way, the British used the same stunt to try to get the US involved in WW2 in 1940. Only as the Germans were too wary to oblige with another tacky telegram, the Brits actually forged the outrage. In this case, it was a map of South America divided into German occupation zones...

Otherwise, I agree - the Zimmermann Telegram was a really important piece of cryptanalysis.

This is clearly written and very interesting.

In the case of Queen Elizabeth, I have read that the plot against her was dreamt up by her spymaster Francis Walsingham and Mary Queen of Scots was fooled into going along with it. Thus Walsingham ensured that Mary was executed; beforehand Queen Elizabeth had been reluctant to execute her cousin.

Thanks everyone

Sorry for not checking the original text more thoroughly before I put it into Peer Review, but that's the great thing about PR that expert knowledge can be fed in

I have updated the text and added in the excellent links - I hope that's an improvement.

I think you've tidied that up nicely. Good job.

Thanks Dmitri

Thanks Florida Sailor - I would be interested in more code stories, and I think the best place is over here F74125?thread=8312799

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Thank you

And thanks to Cestus for contributing to this, too