Under the Wire: How the Telegraph Changed Diplomacy

Telegraphy, which conferred the ability to send messages at great speed across vast distances,""had the potential to transform diplomacy,"" writes Nickles, and, as a historian at the Department of State, he is well situated to explore how these transformations were received by the generally conservative corps of American diplomats. In this volume, Nickles examines three cases from diplomatic history. First, he looks at a pre-telegraphy incident, the War of 1812, and concludes, contrary to common assumptions, that telegraphy did not always deprive diplomats abroad of their autonomy. The Trent affair of 1861, when telegraphy was still relatively new, illuminates how the speed of telegraphy affected the speed of decision-making and its impact on the""aristocratic, leisurely world of diplomacy."" Finally, the case of the infamous Zimmermann telegram of WWI explores, among other issues, the vulnerability of telegraphy to espionage. This fascinating but somewhat specialized study will interest primarily students of diplomatic history and of the impact of technological change on society.