![]() ![]() Mexico ultimately rejected the proposal due to internal instability and as it was very unlikely that it would defeat the US in a war. Aware that America could enter the war following the approach of unrestricted German submarine warfare, Germany wanted to keep America and its resources occupied long enough with a war with Mexico so that it could weaken and defeat Britain. The reason it was sent was to divert American attention and support from Europe. In the telegram he proposed an alliance between Germany and Mexico that could help Germany win the war and Mexico to regain territories previously lost to the USA: the US states of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. The Zimmermann Telegram was a coded message sent by the German Foreign Minister, Arthur Zimmermann, to the German Ambassador to Mexico, Heinrich von Eckardt. However the Zimmermann Telegram also played a key role in US participation. The Germans knew this could encourage American participation in the war, and they hoped they could weaken Britain fast enough that any American response would be too late. In January 1917 Germany decided to re-launch unrestricted submarine warfare, hoping to restrict food supplies in to Britain and leading to its surrender. Still, President Wilson managed to stay neutral as Germany agreed to limit the damage from such attacks, although this did not last. Other liners were also attacked by German forces. The sinking of the Lusitania killed 1,198 civilians, including 129 Americans. The first event that angered many Americans was Germany’s attack of the British liner RMS Lusitania in 1915. And there was encouragement from the Triple Entente, who wanted the US to join the war against the Triple Alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. However, several events made it difficult for President Wilson to stay neutral. The position of neutrality in World War One was the platform that then-president Woodrow Wilson used to win re-election in November 1916, and he was determined to stand by it. And while some more Anglophile groups were more inclined to back the Triple Entente of Britain, France, and Russia, many Americans wanted the US to remain neutral. Until 1917, the US had remained officially neutral in World War I. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |