Question

How did the Zimmerman telegram outrage Americans?

Answer 1

Hint: Zimmerman note also called the Zimmerman telegram was sent by German foreign secretary in 1917 to the German minister in Mexico. The secret code was intercepted by the British and passed on to the United States and its publication caused outrage and contributed to the entry of the United States into World war I.

Complete answer: According to the Zimmerman telegram the plan was to renew unrestricted submarine warfare and to form an alliance with Mexico and Japan if the United States declared war on Germany. Zimmerman offered financial aid to Mexico if it agreed to enter the conflict as a German Ally, it also promised to restore the lost territories of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona to Mexico. The state department promptly sent a copy of the note to President Wilson who proposed to Congress that the United States should start arming its ships against the possible attacks by Germans. He also authorised the state department to publish the telegram which appeared on the front pages of the American newspaper. Its publication horrified many Americans who declared the note a forgery, however Zimmerman himself announced that the telegram was genuine. The telegram helped turn the United States public family against Germany, which were already angered by the repeated German attacks on the United States ships. Finally President Wilson called for immediate entrance of the United States into World war I and formally declared war against Germany.

Note: It is believed that the Zimmerman telegram single-handedly made the way for America into the war. The telegram was useful for convincing the public of the United States that it should be sending its men over to Europe to fight, thus it holds an important significance in World War I.