![]() ![]() The first was to communicate the proposal to the Mexican ambassador in Berlin. (California was not included, maybe because the Germans thought it would be an irresistible offer for the Japanese, in case they also wanted to declare war on the U.S.)īut how could the Germans convey this offer to the Mexicans? Three options were considered. After several unsuccessful attempts to spark a conflict, the Germans decided to offer Venustiano Carranza, the new Mexican president, the recovery of the lost territories of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona in case of a German victory. This is the story of the encrypted telegram that changed the last century.Īrea Mexico ceded to the United States in 1848, by via Wikimedia CommonsGermany was actively seeking to promote a war between Mexico and the U.S., in the hope to create a military distraction and avoid the entry of the U.S. public opinion and was one of the main reasons for the entry of the U.S. But as the war unfolded in Europe, an intercepted telegram sent by the German Foreign Secretary, Arthur Zimmermann, to the Mexican government inflamed the U.S. In fact, Woodrow Wilson was reelected President largely because “He kept us out of war”. Please call to the attention of the President of Mexico that the employment of ruthless submarine warfare now promises to compel England to make peace in a few months.World War I began in 1914 as a fight among several European nations, while the United States pursued a policy of non-intervention. You are instructed to inform the President of Mexico of the above in the greatest confidence as soon as it is certain that there will be an outbreak of war with the United States and suggest that the President of Mexico, on his own initiative, should communicate with Japan suggesting adherence at once to this plan at the same time, offer to mediate between Germany and Japan. The details are left to you for settlement. We shall give general financial support, and it is understood that Mexico is to reconquer the lost territory in New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona. ![]() If this attempt is not successful, we propose an alliance on the following basis with Mexico: That we shall make war together and together make peace. In spite of this, it is our intention to endeavor to keep neutral the United States of America. On the first of February we intend to begin submarine warfare unrestricted. The Zimmerman Note to the German Minister to Mexico Only 6 Senators and 50 Representatives voted against the war declaration. "The world must be made safe for democracy," he told a joint session of Congress. Wilson viewed the war as an opportunity to destroy German militarism. Wilson decided to enter the war so that he could help design the peace settlement. ships in mid-March led Wilson to ask Congress for a declaration of war. The Zimmerman Note and German attacks on three U.S. The telegram said that if Germany went to war with the United States, Germany promised to help Mexico recover the territory it had lost during the 1840s, including Texas, New Mexico, California, and Arizona. In March 1917, newspapers published the Zimmerman Note, an intercepted telegram from the German Foreign Secretary Arthur Zimmerman to the German ambassador to Mexico. Then a fresh insult led Wilson to demand a declaration of war. Germany hoped to win the war within five months, and they were willing to risk antagonizing Wilson on the assumption that even if the United States declared war, it could not mobilize quickly enough to change the course of the conflict. This announcement helped precipitate American entry into the conflict. ![]() In January 1917, Germany announced that it would resume unrestricted submarine warfare. ![]()
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