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When the Telegram was sent in early 1917, Germany was about to renew unrestricted submarine warfare, which the US did not like. They assumed that when they renewed it, the US would be angry and would probably declare war on Germany. And it turned out that they were right.

Since the mid-1800's, the US and Mexico had problems with each other. Texas had been settled by Americans who eventually started a revolt and broke away; Texas later joined the US, and that act caused a war between US and Mexico, which the US easily won and the US took what is now California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah and New Mexico from Mexico. About 60 years later, Mexico was still pretty upset about that.

Plus, shortly before World War I started, Mexico had an internal war, the Mexican Revolution, start up. The dictator who had ruled for the past 40 years finally went too far and rigged an election, and people revolted against him. The war was a big mess, and the US got involved a few times, which upset Mexicans further. Tensions between the two countries were very high.

Germany hoped to take advantage of those tensions to get Mexico to join the war on the side of Germany. That would force the US to divert its attention away from Europe- if the US sent all of her armies to Europe to fight against Germany, then there would be no armies left to stop a Mexican attempt to retake California, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and the rest of the territory the US had been able to take from Mexico over the previous decades. Germany promised Mexico that if the Central Powers won, Germany would see to it that Mexico would get back some of the territory lost since 1836.

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Q: What is the most likely reason why Germany sent a telegram to Mexico?
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What was promised to Mexico in the telegram?

The Zimmermann telegram promised Mexico that it would get back the lost territory in New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona. Not only that, but Germany promised Mexico that it would help them gain back their territory.


What event helped provoke the US to enter world war 1?

There are two primary causes for the US entering World War I. First and foremost is the sinking of the Lustitania and Unrestricted Submarine Warfare. The concept of Unrestricted Submarine Warface (USW) was that any ship, flying anyflag, neutral country or not, around the coast of the United Kingdom would be treated as a warship, and promptly attacked. When the Lusitania was sunk in 1914: roughly 120 American civilians were killed. Afterwords, Germany suspended USW until 1917. In 1917 Germany resumed USW, after repeated warnings from the US that it would mean War.The second reason is the Zimmerman Telegram, sent to Mexico on Germany's behalf. It promised German support if Mexico would open a domestic front and invade the US, should it come to war. Naturally, the citizenry was outraged.


What caused the US to fight in world war 1?

I'm assuming that you are asking why we entered World War 1. The overarching reason was because of the Germans' sinking a British Ocean Liner, the Lusitania. The Lusitania was a "neutral ship" that had American passengers on it. We were already tense with Germany after we found a note from the Germans to Mexico asking them to declare an alliance against the US. This was called the Zimmerman Telegram, which was intercepted and published by us.


What was one major reason the US entered World War 1 on the Allied side?

The zimmerman note which was sent to Mexico from Germany and intercepted by the United States. It instructed Mexico to regain Texas from the U.S and promised German support.


What is the main reason that the US get involved in war world 1?

The US caught wind of the Zimmerman Telegram, where the Germans tried to make a deal with Mexico for them to go to war with the US to distract the US from the war in Europe. Hitler feared that if the Americans entered the war on the side of the Allies, the central powers would lose. He was right

Related questions

What was the official reason the us entered the war?

The u.s. Intercepted a German telegram to Mexico that promised to help Mexico reconquer it's losses to America in the Mexican American war and America decided to stop Germany before this happened.


The zimmerman note added to americas reason for war because it?

The Zimmermann Telegram (or Zimmermann Note) was an invitation from the Arthur Zimmerman, the Foreign Secretary of the German Empire, to the German Ambassador to Mexico. If Mexico would join forces with Germany, they would be given American land when the war was over.


Was the zimmerman telegram real?

yes. It was a main reason the United States dropped diplomatic relations with Germany and entered the war on the side of the French and British.


What were the two reasons the US join World War 1?

the german u-boats that kept sinking merchant/cruise ships and the main reason was the Zimmerman telegram, sent by germany to mexico, saying if the mexicans attacked the USA then after the war they could have back texas, Arizona and many other southern states.


The Zimmermann note added to Americas reason for war because it?

all of these answers are correct[The Zimmermann note added to America's reasons for war because it discussed the invasion of California and Texaswas said to be sent from Germany to Mexicourged Mexico to join the Central Powers.]


List 3 reasons why the us entered ww1 in 1917?

Justin Akinsipe February 8, 2013 WWI There were a few reasons why the U.S. joined WWI. First, the sinking of the Lusitania and the Sussex. The Lusitania was a British luxury liner which was sunk, also, the Sussex, a french trade ship was sunk. These two ships were both sunk by Germany. The reason was because Germany knew that the U.S was making trades with the Allied Powers. Next, the Zimmerman Telegram greatly impacted U.S.'s entry. The telegram was a coded letter from Germany to Mexico that asked Mexico to start war with the U.S. to regain their former lost territory. Germany thought that this would keep the U.S. Army distracted on their own continent so that they couldn't interfere with the war. The telegram was intercepted by the British Army which was on the side which the U.S. was leaning on. Last was Militarism and Nationalism. This was the rise of army and competition between nations.


What is the most likely reason Mexico wanted Texas back after it was annexed by the US?

It was Mexico's territory, to begin with. See related questions.


What does the explosion of the lusitania have to do with the us entering the war?

The Lusitania was a British cruise liner containing hundreds of Americans. It was sunk by the Germans because Germany ordered attacks without warning on all Allied ships, any kind of ship. However, this wasn't the only reason why the US joined WWI. Germany had been pushing the US's buttons even before the sinking of the Lusitania. Germany sunk American ships as well. They constantly talked down to the Americans. Then the Germans sent a telegram to Mexico persuading Mexico to declare war on the US. Germany would aid Mexico and if Mexico won, they'd acquire Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas; basically, this would be Mexico's revenge for their loss in the Mexican-American War. Mexico did not accept, however. The US was much too powerful for the Mexicans to actually win, Germany could not aid Mexico in any way as it was devastated by the war, and Mexico did not want to risk its relations with the ABC countries, who would soon declare war on Germany. Although the Americans wished to remain neutral, they had to enter the war because Germany was humiliating them. They could not just sit around and have Germany waste away their ships and bribe their neighbors to go to war with them, their dignity was at stake. So in a way, it was sort of like every other country's reason for joining WWI.


What were the causes of US intervention in World War 1?

The U.S. was a neutral country in the begining of the war. They got involved because they felt that their status as a neutral contry had been violated because the British passenger ship called the Lusitania was sunk by a German U-boat. U.S. citizens were aboard and died. In turn, this is what caused Americans to waiver in their stance on neutrality. This is just a summary of it. A Problem The Lusitania was sunk in May 1915, and the U.S. declared war on Germany in March 1917. It's perfectly possible that the sinking of the Lusitania marked the start of a decisive shift in opinion in America, but it can't possibly have been the reason for the America declaring war on Germany. Try 'unrestricted submarine' warfare instead. THE REAL REASON WHY AMERICA ENTERED THE WAR America did not enter the war after the sinking of the Lusitania. In fact, President Wilson still remained neutral after the sinking but warned Germany to stop using submarines or in fact they would enter the war. It was two years later, in 1917, that a telegram was intercepted by the British. The telegram was called the Zimmerman telegram and was from Germany on its way to Mexico. The telegram was asking Mexico to join the war and be on Germany's side and in return they would give them Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. But since the British were our Allies, President Wilson immediately got word. Another reason for entering the war, is that Germany also started using submarines again in 1917. As well as Tsar Nicholas II abdicated. Leaving Wilson to join a mostly democratic alliance.


What was promised to Mexico in the telegram?

The Zimmermann telegram promised Mexico that it would get back the lost territory in New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona. Not only that, but Germany promised Mexico that it would help them gain back their territory.


The Zimmerman Telegram which pushed the U.S. to enter World War 1 exposed Germany's plan to?

The Zimmerman telegram was a secret message sent to the Mexican government. In it, the German government offered to send money and weapons to help Mexico if Mexico would start a war against the United States. Germany expected the US to soon join World War I against them, and hoped that a war with Mexico would distract the US. A little context- by 1917, the US and Mexico had poor relations. It had only been 68 years since the US fought and won a war against Mexico, and took all of what's now the Southwest (NM, AZ, CA, etc). The US had occasionally invaded parts of Mexico for one reason or another since then too- even in 1916, after Mexican rebels had attacked a town in New Mexico, the US sent an army under General Pershing to invade Mexico and punish those rebels (they were unsuccessful). So Zimmerman sent the message explaining that if Mexico started a war against the US, then Germany would send money and weapons to help. Additionally, Germany promised that if they were able to win World War I, they would make sure that Mexico got back the territory that the US had taken from them. However, since 1910 Mexico was in the middle of a nasty war called the Mexican Revolution. So Mexico was in no position to launch a major war against the US. Additionally, Germany realistically had no way to ship the money and weapons to Mexico, since Allied navies dominated the seas. Nor would Mexico really have anyplace to use the money Germany would've sent, for much the same reason. So the Mexican government did not agree to the request.


What prompted the U.S. to enter World War 1?

It was a combination of two events.The first was the sinking of the British passenger ship, the Lusitania. There were americas on board and it was not a warship.The second was the Zimmerman telegram. The British intercepted the telegram that was sent to Mexico by Germany, promising German support for an invasion of the US. England decoded it and sent it to America.After those events, america troops were mobilized.The Germans were using U boats to block out our means of shipping goods as well as a ship named Lusintania which carried supplies as well as many passengers, killing 128 people overall to Europe. Also, The United States intercepted a telegram from Germany, the "Zimmerman" note which was to ask for Mexico to go war with the US so the US wouldn't enter World War I. Germany promised to Mexico that they would give Mexico New Mexico,Arizonia,and Texas. So basically we got mad because the Germans were bombing our boats and then the Germans said that if Mexico started a war with the US and kept America from entering WW1 they'd help regain the territory that was given to the United States in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hildalgo after the Mexican American war in the late 1800's