American-German Diplomacy, Intelligence, and Switzerland: James McNally and Secret Peace Talks in the First World War

James C. McNally, the American Vice Consul in Zürich, Switzerland during the First World War occupied an important position in American-German diplomacy during the conflict. His influence came from his relationship to his son-in-law, the German naval officer, Friedrich Mensing. The American government placed McNally in Switzerland in order to leverage this relationship and report valuable intelligence back to Washington. He also came to be seen as important by the German government in Berlin, owing to his ability and willingness to forward peace negotiations directly to top American officials. McNally worked in an attempt to lay the groundwork for a peace deal, going against his official instructions from the State Department and leading to him being viewed with suspicion by his colleagues and superiors. James McNally engaged in these unauthorized, secret peace talks as an active way of furthering his own importance and in an attempt to advance his career.