Heinrich von Eckardt
Encyclopedia
Heinrich von Eckardt was the ambassador
for the German Empire
in Mexico
, assuming office around 1915 and spending most of his time as ambassador during World War I
. After the departure of the more German supported President
Victoriano Huerta
in 1914, German sentiment for successor Venustiano Carranza
was significantly negative; von Eckardt believed Carranza's government bodies were "prototypes of vulgarity and depravity". His attitude towards the president remained bitter despite attempts by Carranza to suppress anti-German
publications, which he described as "pedant mediocrity".
Von Eckardt is known for being the recipient of the Zimmermann Telegram
, a telegram
sent by German Foreign Secretary Arthur Zimmermann
on January 16, 1917. The message was first sent to the German ambassador to the United States
, Johann von Bernstorff
, to deter interception. He relayed it to von Eckardt on January 19. However, the telegram was intercepted by the United Kingdom
en route from von Bernstorff to von Eckardt and decoded by Room 40
. In the telegram, Zimmermann instructed von Eckardt to approach President
Venustiano Carranza
with a proposition to firstly, form an alliance with Germany, and secondly, should Germany drop its neutrality against the United States, attack the U.S. with it and help persuade Japan
into aiding them with the attack. The telegram was left vague and von Eckardt was told to work out the details himself as he presented them to Carranza. He was also asked to call Carranza's attention to the Battle of the Atlantic and the possibility that it may further attempts to compel the UK into peace.
Despite the discovery of the telegram by the United States and Britain, von Eckardt approached Foreign Secretary
Cándido Aguilar and gave him the proposal a month after the message was sent. Aguilar was sympathetic, but both he and Carranza eventually turned Germany down, mainly due to the premature release. Mexico feared American influence, though, and von Eckardt was somewhat able to sway Carranza, who ordered pro-Allied
newspaper
s to reverse their stance. These German-centric reports initially led von Eckardt to believe the armistice
was a propagandic
myth. Further confusion resulted in a Guadalajaran
newspaper overlapping pro-German sentiment with von Eckardt's instructions for pro-Carranza reports when Carranza's anticlericalism
caused the newspaper to criticise
the Catholic Church
, leading to the church's boycott
and von Eckardt's unsuccessful attempts to coax them out of it.
Von Eckardt was previously the German ambassador to the Kingdom of Montenegro
during the Balkan Wars
. He was present on April 27, 1913 when Austria demanded to King Nicholas
that Montenegro return Scutari to Albania
.
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
for the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, assuming office around 1915 and spending most of his time as ambassador during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. After the departure of the more German supported President
President of Mexico
The President of the United Mexican States is the head of state and government of Mexico. Under the Constitution, the president is also the Supreme Commander of the Mexican armed forces...
Victoriano Huerta
Victoriano Huerta
José Victoriano Huerta Márquez was a Mexican military officer and president of Mexico. Huerta's supporters were known as Huertistas during the Mexican Revolution...
in 1914, German sentiment for successor Venustiano Carranza
Venustiano Carranza
Venustiano Carranza de la Garza, was one of the leaders of the Mexican Revolution. He ultimately became President of Mexico following the overthrow of the dictatorial Huerta regime in the summer of 1914 and during his administration the current constitution of Mexico was drafted...
was significantly negative; von Eckardt believed Carranza's government bodies were "prototypes of vulgarity and depravity". His attitude towards the president remained bitter despite attempts by Carranza to suppress anti-German
Anti-German sentiment
Anti-German sentiment is defined as an opposition to or fear of Germany, its inhabitants, and the German language. Its opposite is Germanophilia.-Russia:...
publications, which he described as "pedant mediocrity".
Von Eckardt is known for being the recipient of the Zimmermann Telegram
Zimmermann Telegram
The Zimmermann Telegram was a 1917 diplomatic proposal from the German Empire to Mexico to make war against the United States. The proposal was caught by the British before it could get to Mexico. The revelation angered the Americans and led in part to a U.S...
, a telegram
Telegraphy
Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages via some form of signalling technology. Telegraphy requires messages to be converted to a code which is known to both sender and receiver...
sent by German Foreign Secretary Arthur Zimmermann
Arthur Zimmermann
Arthur Zimmermann was State Secretary for Foreign Affairs of the German Empire from November 22, 1916, until his resignation on August 6, 1917. His name is associated with the Zimmermann Telegram during World War I...
on January 16, 1917. The message was first sent to the German ambassador to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Johann von Bernstorff
Johann Heinrich von Bernstorff
Johann Heinrich Graf von Bernstorff was a German politician and the ambassador to the United States and Mexico from 1908 to 1917.- Early life :...
, to deter interception. He relayed it to von Eckardt on January 19. However, the telegram was intercepted by the United Kingdom
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
en route from von Bernstorff to von Eckardt and decoded by Room 40
Room 40
In the history of Cryptanalysis, Room 40 was the section in the Admiralty most identified with the British cryptoanalysis effort during the First World War.Room 40 was formed in October 1914, shortly after the start of the war...
. In the telegram, Zimmermann instructed von Eckardt to approach President
President of Mexico
The President of the United Mexican States is the head of state and government of Mexico. Under the Constitution, the president is also the Supreme Commander of the Mexican armed forces...
Venustiano Carranza
Venustiano Carranza
Venustiano Carranza de la Garza, was one of the leaders of the Mexican Revolution. He ultimately became President of Mexico following the overthrow of the dictatorial Huerta regime in the summer of 1914 and during his administration the current constitution of Mexico was drafted...
with a proposition to firstly, form an alliance with Germany, and secondly, should Germany drop its neutrality against the United States, attack the U.S. with it and help persuade Japan
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
into aiding them with the attack. The telegram was left vague and von Eckardt was told to work out the details himself as he presented them to Carranza. He was also asked to call Carranza's attention to the Battle of the Atlantic and the possibility that it may further attempts to compel the UK into peace.
Despite the discovery of the telegram by the United States and Britain, von Eckardt approached Foreign Secretary
Secretary of Foreign Affairs (Mexico)
In Mexico, the Secretary of Foreign Affairs is a member of the federal executive cabinet with responsibility for implementing the country's foreign policy. The secretary is appointed by the President of the Republic and heads the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs ...
Cándido Aguilar and gave him the proposal a month after the message was sent. Aguilar was sympathetic, but both he and Carranza eventually turned Germany down, mainly due to the premature release. Mexico feared American influence, though, and von Eckardt was somewhat able to sway Carranza, who ordered pro-Allied
Allies of World War I
The Entente Powers were the countries at war with the Central Powers during World War I. The members of the Triple Entente were the United Kingdom, France, and the Russian Empire; Italy entered the war on their side in 1915...
newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
s to reverse their stance. These German-centric reports initially led von Eckardt to believe the armistice
Armistice with Germany (Compiègne)
The armistice between the Allies and Germany was an agreement that ended the fighting in the First World War. It was signed in a railway carriage in Compiègne Forest on 11 November 1918 and marked a victory for the Allies and a complete defeat for Germany, although not technically a surrender...
was a propagandic
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
myth. Further confusion resulted in a Guadalajaran
Guadalajara, Jalisco
Guadalajara is the capital of the Mexican state of Jalisco, and the seat of the municipality of Guadalajara. The city is located in the central region of Jalisco in the western-pacific area of Mexico. With a population of 1,564,514 it is Mexico's second most populous municipality...
newspaper overlapping pro-German sentiment with von Eckardt's instructions for pro-Carranza reports when Carranza's anticlericalism
Anti-clericalism
Anti-clericalism is a historical movement that opposes religious institutional power and influence, real or alleged, in all aspects of public and political life, and the involvement of religion in the everyday life of the citizen...
caused the newspaper to criticise
Anti-Catholicism
Anti-Catholicism is a generic term for discrimination, hostility or prejudice directed against Catholicism, and especially against the Catholic Church, its clergy or its adherents...
the Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, leading to the church's boycott
Boycott
A boycott is an act of voluntarily abstaining from using, buying, or dealing with a person, organization, or country as an expression of protest, usually for political reasons...
and von Eckardt's unsuccessful attempts to coax them out of it.
Von Eckardt was previously the German ambassador to the Kingdom of Montenegro
Kingdom of Montenegro
The Kingdom of Montenegro was a monarchy in southeastern Europe during the tumultuous years on the Balkan Peninsula leading up to and during World War I. Legally it was a constitutional monarchy, but absolutist in practice...
during the Balkan Wars
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913.By the early 20th century, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire, but large parts of their ethnic...
. He was present on April 27, 1913 when Austria demanded to King Nicholas
Nicholas I of Montenegro
Nikola I Mirkov Petrović-Njegoš was the only king of Montenegro, reigning as king from 1910 to 1918 and as prince from 1860 to 1910. He was also a poet, notably penning "Onamo, 'namo!", a popular song from Montenegro.-Early life:Nikola was born in the village of Njeguši, the ancient home of the...
that Montenegro return Scutari to Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
.