World War I anecdotes: Kaiser Wilhelm once tried to send 100,000 troops to an expedition to the United States

At the end of the 19th century, the rapidly rising Germany collided head-on with another emerging country, the United States. In order to clear the "roadblock", Germany planned an expedition to the United States. "German battleships bombarded Manhattan, and German soldiers poured into the streets of New York..." - It sounds a bit fanciful, but this is the scene envisioned by German strategists.

The Kaiser wanted to "teach the United States a lesson"

In 1898, a top-secret German military plan showed such a picture: 60 German ships, including heavy cruisers, fully loaded with 100,000 elite German troops first arrived at the Azores Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. After replenishing supplies, they headed south to seize Puerto Rico, which the United States had just seized from Spain, and then raided the United States along the Atlantic coast. Among them, thousands of German troops, acting as a diversionary force, would disembark from Cod Bay, the earliest immigrant landing place in the United States, and pounce on Boston. The main force of the German army went straight to New York, and the fleet entered Lower New York Bay and began to bombard Manhattan. At the same time, the main force of the army landed, and the artillery of the well-equipped Krupp cannons came ashore and destroyed New York together with the naval guns. The Germans expected that under heavy siege, the U.S. president would have to seek compromise and sign a humiliating alliance under the city walls.

This German military archive was discovered in 2002 in Freiburg, a city in western Germany close to the border with France and Switzerland. The plan was drawn up by someone sent by Kaiser Wilhelm II. Many analysts believe that the Kaiser did not want to conquer the United States through this war. His goal was to return the United States to its original shape and teach the Americans a lesson.

"Father of the Navy" was appointed expedition commander

Files show that in 1897, Wilhelm II authorized the 28-year-old naval captain Eberhard Mann Ti drafted a package of plans to attack the United States, hoping to use war to force the United States to accept Germany's unrestricted freedom in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Mandy's series of projects has a codename called "Winter Letters."

This plan was supported by Alfred von Tirpitz, the "Father of the German Navy", who even made detailed arrangements for the plan. The commander of the planned expedition was Tirpitz. Another purpose of Tirpitz's support of the plan was to use it as a new basis for the deployment and further expansion of Germany's new fleet. Tirpitz had a huge naval reconstruction plan. By 1898, the largest First Fleet in German history had been formed, including 17 battleships, 9 large and 26 small cruisers and other small ships. This size was comparable to that of France. It is on par with the United States and has the ability to initially challenge the United Kingdom. After that, Tirpitz also wanted to form a second fleet, including 2 flagships, 36 battleships, 11 large and 34 small cruisers, enough to rival the British Royal Navy. Mandy's plan provided Tirpitz with an opportunity to convince the Kaiser.

Also in 1898, this plan was significantly adjusted and turned into the scene described at the beginning of the article.

It is very difficult to send troops to the United States

However, German Chief of Staff Alfred Schlieffen did not support Mandy’s plan. He believed that such a 3,000-mile sneak attack was likely to turn into a disastrous failure, and he supported his own plan to invade France. The files also show that if the United States is invaded, Germany's military strength will be stretched thin. Germany does not have enough troops to engage in such a difficult war.

In fact, around 1907, Germany had given up the idea of ??sending troops to the United States, but it did not forget this opponent. Late in World War I, German Foreign Minister Zimmermann sent a vicious telegram to the Mexican President, which was unfortunately deciphered by the British. The telegram read: "Berlin, January 19, 1917. We have been working hard to promote the neutrality of the United States. If this effort cannot be achieved, we will try to ally with Mexico on the following basis... We understand and support Mexico's retake of the The territories annexed by the United States were New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona. ”

If Zimmerman’s proposal were implemented, the United States might not be able to participate in the European war. However, Mexico did not respond to Germany's proposal. After the United States learned the contents of the telegram, domestic anti-German sentiment was aroused. The United States soon joined the fray and dealt a fatal blow to Germany.