Among the many marvels of modern communication, the telegram stands out as a tool that could change the fate of nations in a single line of text. The following 10 fateful telegrams illustrate how short, urgent messages redirected the course of history, from wars to political upheavals.
Why These 10 Fateful Telegrams Matter
10 Goering Telegram
Hermann Goering, one of Adolf Hitler’s most trusted lieutenants, was named successor in a secret decree issued in June 1941. The decree stipulated that if Hitler were incapacitated, kidnapped, or killed, Goering would assume control. As the war dragged on, Hitler grew increasingly wary of Goering, spurred on by Martin Bormann, Goering’s own adversary. While the Führer huddled in his bunker with Soviet troops closing in, Goering was holed up in Berchtesgaden, a remote Alpine town 800 kilometres (500 mi) to the south.
At 12:56 AM on 23 April 1945, Goering dispatched a secret telegram to Hitler:
My Fuhrer: General Koller today gave me a briefing on the basis of communications given to him by Colonel General Jodl and General Christian, according to which you had referred certain decisions to me and emphasized that I, in case negotiations would become necessary, would be in an easier position than you in Berlin. These views were so surprising and serious to me that I felt obligated to assume, in case by 2200 o’clock no answer is forthcoming, that you have lost your freedom of action. I shall then view the conditions of your decree as fulfilled and take action for the well being of Nation and Fatherland. You know what I feel for you in these most difficult hours of my life and I cannot express this in words. God protect you and allow you despite everything to come here as soon as possible.
Your faithful Hermann Goering
According to Albert Speer’s autobiography, Martin Bormann seized on this and a follow‑up message as proof that Goering was plotting a coup. Hitler, initially listless, erupted into a fury, stripped Goering of his titles, expelled him from the Nazi Party, and denounced him as lazy and corrupt. Speer recounts that the Führer sank into a deep depression afterward. A week later, Hitler and Eva Braun took their own lives—many historians now view the Goering telegram as a pivotal factor in that tragic decision.
9 McCarthy’s Telegram To Truman
On 9 February 1950, Senator Joseph McCarthy delivered a fiery speech in Wheeling, West Virginia, accusing 200 State Department employees of Communist ties. Two days later, he sent a telegram to President Harry Truman, proclaiming that his Wheeling revelation exposed a “nest of communists and communist sympathizers” within the department, and that he possessed the names of 57 such individuals. McCarthy reminded Truman that he had already created a board to investigate the State Department, which had uncovered hundreds of “fellow travelers… dangerous to the security of the nation,” of which only about 80 had been expelled—perhaps due to the influence of alleged spy Alger Hiss.
He demanded that Truman order Secretary of State Dean Acheson to hand over the original list and compel Congress to release a full accounting. Failure to comply, McCarthy warned, would label the Democratic Party as “the bed‑fellow of international communism.” Truman allegedly drafted a scathing reply—though never sent—accusing McCarthy of insolence, dishonesty, and irresponsibility, noting it was the first time a senator tried to discredit his own government before the world.
By circulating copies of his telegram to the press, McCarthy ignited a media firestorm, spawning headlines such as “Purge State Department Reds, Senator Urges” and “Get Acheson’s List of Commies on Staff, Senator Bids Truman.” An article in the Gazette explained that the FBI could not act against communists in the State Department without Justice Department approval, which in turn required State Department consent. The telegram’s scandalous revelations helped usher in a new era of Red paranoia across the United States.
8 Zimmerman Telegram
While World War I raged across Europe, President Woodrow Wilson had been reelected in 1916 on the slogan “He kept us out of war.” The United States had already severed diplomatic ties with Germany over its policy of unrestricted submarine warfare, yet public sentiment still leaned toward neutrality. A crucial catalyst that shifted this stance was the infamous Zimmerman telegram.
In January 1917, British cryptographers cracked an encrypted message from German Foreign Minister Arthur Zimmermann to the German minister in Mexico, von Eckhardt. The telegram proposed a German‑Mexican alliance, offering generous financial aid and urging Mexico to reclaim the lost territories of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. Zimmermann also requested that the Mexican president help mediate between Germany and Japan.
On 24 February 1917, British authorities passed a copy of the telegram to the U.S. ambassador in the United Kingdom, who promptly relayed it to President Wilson. Shocked, Wilson urged Congress to arm American ships against possible German attacks and authorized the State Department to release the telegram to the press on 1 March. The American public erupted in outrage, though many initially dismissed the message as a forgery. Zimmermann later confirmed its authenticity. The combination of this telegram and continued German attacks on U.S. shipping hardened American resolve, leading Congress to declare war on the German Empire.
7 Deptel 243
On 24 August 1963, Henry Cabot Lodge, the U.S. ambassador to South Vietnam, received a frantic telegram that revealed a sudden shift in American policy toward President Ngô Đình Diệm. The United States had supported Diệm for a decade, with President Lyndon Johnson once dubbing him “the Churchill of Asia.”
Although Diệm possessed impeccable anti‑Communist credentials, his nationalist tendencies and independent streak irritated Washington. More problematic was his brother‑in‑law, Ngô Đình Nhu, whose crackdown on Buddhist monk protesters resulted in a wave of self‑immolations—Nhu’s wife, Trần Lệ Xuân, mockingly referred to these as “barbecues.” Rumors also suggested Nhu was negotiating peace with the North Vietnamese and possibly plotting a coup against Diệm.
The telegram bluntly declared:
US Government cannot tolerate situation in which power lies in Nhu’s hands. Diem must be given chance to rid himself of Nhu and his coterie and replace them with best military and political personalities available. If, in spite of all of your efforts, Diem remains obdurate and refuses, then we must face the possibility that Diem himself cannot be preserved.
By November, the U.S. backed a military coup that assassinated both Diệm and Nhu. The ensuing power vacuum plunged South Vietnam into chaotic, ineffective rule, ultimately prompting direct American military involvement. Many scholars view this diplomatic telegram as the spark that set South Vietnam on a path toward eventual destruction.
6 Indian Mutiny Telegram
The 1857 Indian Rebellion could have blindsided the British Empire if not for the telegraph network. The East India Company had laid the first telegraph line on the subcontinent in 1850, connecting Kolkata with Diamond Harbour—a technological marvel that the local populace viewed with suspicion yet which ultimately bolstered imperial control.
On 11 May 1857, telegraph master Charles Todd ventured out to inspect the lines and was murdered by mutineers aiming to sever communications. His two assistants, William Brendish and J.W. Pilkington, remained at their posts, relaying updates about the uprising in Delhi to the Ambala telegraph station.
Eventually, forced to flee, they sent a final dispatch:
We must leave office. All the bungalows are on fire, burning down by the sepoys of Meerut. They came in this morning. Mr. C. Todd is dead, we think. He went out this morning and has not yet returned. We learn that nine Europeans were killed. We are off. Goodbye.
General George Anson, commander‑in‑chief of India, was dining in Simla, just 106 km (66 mi) from Ambala, when the message arrived on 12 May. The intelligence spurred Anson into action, allowing him time to mobilize troops and suppress the rebellion. Historian H.C. Fanshawe later noted that “Irresponsible chatter of one clerk with another warned Punjab of what happened at Delhi, and enabled the authorities there to take steps which at least scotched further mutiny and saved the position for the time being.”
5 George Kennan’s Long Telegram
In 1946, George Kennan, the American chargé d’affaires in Moscow, sent an exhaustive 8,000‑word telegram to the State Department, outlining his assessment of Soviet intentions and recommending a firm U.S. posture. Kennan argued that Marxist‑Leninist doctrine and an “instinctive Russian sense of insecurity” meant the USSR could not envision lasting peaceful coexistence with the capitalist world.
He explained that the Soviets felt encircled by hostile capitalist powers and believed internal bourgeois elements threatened their regime. Consequently, Soviet policy aimed to strengthen their own position while exploiting divisions among capitalist nations, supporting communist movements, and undermining “false friends” such as social democrats. The telegram sparked a vigorous debate in Washington, highlighting Soviet threats to nations like Turkey and Iran and emphasizing that the Soviets responded only to “the logic of force.” Kennan’s call for strong resistance resonated with the Truman administration, paving the way for the doctrine of containment that would dominate U.S. Cold‑War strategy. For his influential analysis, Kennan later became ambassador to the Soviet Union.
4 ‘Work On The Mouse Fast’
The first major character for Walt Disney Studios was Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, a mischievous, ear‑less figure created by animator Ub Iwerks and Disney. Oswald starred in 26 silent shorts from 1927‑28, beginning with “Trolley Troubles.” Disney, hoping for a pay raise to cover rising production costs, approached distributor Charles Mintz, only to discover that Mintz owned the rights to Oswald and intended to cut Disney’s salary by 20 %.
Realizing the loss, Disney sent his brother Roy a desperate telegram:
Roy, I just lost the rights to Oswald. Tell Ub to get to work on the mouse fast or we are screwed!
During the train ride back to Los Angeles, Disney sketched a new character, initially naming him Mortimer after a childhood pet. His wife, Lillian, persuaded him to adopt the name Mickey instead. Ub Iwerks animated Mickey Mouse, and the character quickly eclipsed Oswald’s popularity. Disney eventually regained rights to Oswald in 2006, but Mickey remains the iconic emblem of the studio.
3 Willy‑Nicky Telegrams
Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany and Tsar Nicholas II of Russia were third cousins who corresponded affectionately in English, signing each other as “Willy” and “Nicky.” Their relationship, marked by joint vacations and even swapping military uniforms for fun, belied the political tensions that would soon explode.
In July 1914, as Europe teetered on the brink of war, Willy and Nicky exchanged a series of urgent telegrams seeking a diplomatic solution. The Tsar wrote at 1:00 AM on 29 July:
Am glad you are back. In this serious moment, I appeal to you to help me. An ignoble war has been declared to a weak country. The indignation in Russia shared fully by me is enormous. I foresee that very soon I shall be overwhelmed by the pressure forced upon me and be forced to take extreme measures which will lead to war. To try and avoid such a calamity as a European war I beg you in the name of our old friendship to do what you can to stop your allies from going too far.
Nicky
At 1:45 AM the Kaiser replied:
It is with the gravest concern that I hear of the impression which the action of Austria against Serbia is creating in your country. The unscrupulous agitation that has been going on in Serbia is… all the persons morally responsible for the dastardly murder should receive their deserved punishment… On the other hand, I fully understand how difficult it is for you and your Government to face the drift of public opinion. Therefore, with regard to the hearty and tender friendship which binds us both from long ago with firm ties, I am exerting my utmost influence to induce the Austrians to deal straightly to arrive to a satisfactory understanding with you. I confidently hope that you will help me in my efforts to smooth over difficulties that may still arise.
Your very sincere and devoted friend and cousin,
Willy
Despite their heartfelt pleas, the tangled web of alliances and military mobilization schedules left little room for a diplomatic detour. The Willy‑Nicky telegram exchange remains the closest the two monarchs came to averting a continent‑wide conflict.
2 Kruger Telegram
On 3 January 1896, Kaiser Wilhelm II sent a congratulatory telegram to Paul Kruger, President of the Transvaal Republic, praising the successful repulsion of a British‑led Jameson raid. The raid, intended to spark an anti‑British uprising among Boer miners, ended in disaster: 65 British soldiers were killed and a single Boer commando fell.
The Kaiser’s message read:
I express my sincere congratulations that you and your people, without appealing to friendly powers for help, by dint of your own vigor, have been able to restore the peace against the armed hordes that invaded your country as disturbers of the peace, and to preserve the independence of the country against outside attacks.
Wilhelm I.R.
This triumph of German support angered the British public, who saw the Kaiser’s gloating as an unfriendly gesture. Queen Victoria wrote to Wilhelm, lamenting the telegram’s tone and urging restraint. The incident helped galvanize British sentiment against the Transvaal, contributing to the eventual outbreak of the Second Boer War in 1899.
1 The Last Telegrams
By the late 20th century, newer technologies rendered the telegram obsolete. Western Union, once the titan of telegraphy, ceased its telegram service in 2006 after 155 years, after delivering a peak of 200 million messages in 1929 down to just 20 000 in 2005. The final ten American telegrams covered birthday wishes, condolences, emergency notices, and even a few deliberate attempts to send “the very last telegram ever.”
In 2013, India’s Telegraph Service—operated by state‑owned BSNL—shut down after 163 years. The network, known as “Taar,” had once spanned the nation, handling millions of messages annually. The last days saw a surge of people queuing to send keepsake telegrams. The final Indian telegram was addressed to Congress vice‑president Rahul Gandhi, mockingly dubbed “Pappu” on social media. Netizens ridiculed the choice, noting that out of 1.2 billion citizens, the last telegram went to a political figure, sparking a flurry of jokes and commentary.
+ Remington‑Hearst Telegrams
Legend has it that in January 1897, artist Frederic S. Remington, stationed in Cuba, sent a telegram to newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst in New York, stating, “Everything is quiet. There is no trouble here. There will be no war. I wish to return.” Hearst allegedly replied tersely, “Please remain. You furnish the pictures, and I’ll furnish the war.”
The exchange is meant to illustrate Hearst’s alleged arrogance and the power of yellow journalism to stir public opinion toward war against Spain.
However, the story’s authenticity is doubtful. James Creelman, who first recounted the anecdote, may have fabricated the exchange. In early 1897, Creelman was in Europe, while the United States did not declare war on Spain until February 1898. Moreover, Hearst’s own newspaper at the time was confidently predicting Cuban victory, making the telegram’s content unlikely. Hearst himself denied ever sending such a message, and historians point out several chronological and factual inconsistencies.
Despite the controversy, the legend persists as a cautionary tale about the influence of media on public sentiment and the potential for fabricated communications to shape history.