ABSTRACT
War had been raging across Europe since 1914, but for 2 years, President Woodrow Wilson had counseled the American public to remain neutral. People of the United States were outraged, but Germany said it would restrict U-boat attacks to military ships, so the Americans calmed down. They believed that with American help, the Allies could end the war and stop the German Army. Early in 1917, Germany decided to break its promise of restricted submarine warfare and began sinking all types of vessels, including neutral ships and passenger boats. The American Congress was outraged, and cut off all diplomatic relations with Germany, but still did not declare war. If the Americans found out about it, they would have become quite angry with the British for invading their privacy. In the telegram, Zimmermann promised Mexico that it could have the states of New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas if it would go to war against the United States.
