Zimmerman Telegram by Lisa Marx (update 5/3/98)

Related historical timeline created with Timeliner (Nobles grad, Tom Snyder)

Do you know anything about what aided the United States' decision to go to war with Germany in World War I? Here's some information on the Zimmerman telegram:
In January of 1917, Arthur Zimmerman, the German foreign minister, sent a telegram to the Mexican government. In this letter, Germany told of their plans to begin unrestricted submarine warfare at the end of the month to force England out of the war. Zimmerman encouraged Mexico to attack the United States with a promise of support and a postwar reward of territory (Mexico). The Zimmerman Telegram was a direct violation of the Monroe Doctrine. Relations between Mexico and the United States were already tense after the American troops had lead a force into Mexico in 1916 to capture Pancho Villa.

The telegram was sent to Mexico via the American transatlantic telegraph route. However, English intelligence knew the German code, and because they had access to the cable, they were able to decipher it. They sent the translated telegram to Washington, and it helped add to the American decision to go to war with Germany, on April 6.
--Lisa Marx, student at Noble and Greenough School, Class of 2000
--US History teacher: Don Allard

related web sites for the Zimmerman telegram

  1. actual copy of Zimmerman Telegram
  2. Letter's Magazine article on ZImmerman Telegram
  3. Teacher's guide to the Zimmerman Telegram

    4. related graphics of the Zimmerman telegram