As we enter into 1917, the United States
has been able to maintain its neutrality in World War
I. In fact, President Wilson has just won a re-election based
on the platform that he kept us out of war.
And to large degree, he was able to keep the US out of war
because the German Empire had pulled back
from its unrestricted submarine warfare.
After the sinking of the Lusitania
and how angered America had gotten,
they said, OK, we're not going to attack
passenger vessels anymore.
We're only going to attack things that are definitely
British, non-passenger vessels.
But as we go into January 1917, the British blockade
on the Central Powers was having its effect.
And the Central Powers were getting desperate,
in particular Germany.
And so they are eager to essentially do
the same to the British.
Once again, go with the unrestricted submarine warfare.
But the Germans knew that if they
were to go back to this, that it's likely that the US would
enter the war on the side of the Allies.
So knowing that was likely to happen.
They said, well, how could we slow the US down.
And the thinking was, well, maybe we could somehow
enlisted the help of Mexico which at the time
was not the best terms with the United States.
And so Arthur Zimmerman who was the German Foreign Secretary,
the equivalent of the United States Secretary of State.
The Foreign Minister, Arthur Zimmerman
sends an encoded a telegram to the Mexicans.
And it's encoded, especially because it
has to go over lines that are controlled by the Americans.
And in it, he actually proposes an alliance
to slow the Americans down.
So this is what he wrote.
So this is a coded telegram.
And then, it was actually intercepted
by British intelligence and decoded and then shared
with the Americans, and then that
was also then made public to the American public.
And so this is why it's fascinating to actually read
this stuff.
This is January 1917.
This is the Germans talking to the Mexicans.
"We intend to begin on the first of February
unrestricted submarine warfare.
We shall endeavor in spite of this
to keep the United States of America neutral.
In the event of this not succeeding,
we make Mexico a proposal alliance
on the following basis-- make war together, make peace
together, generous financial support, and an understanding
on our part that Mexico is to reconquer the lost
territory in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.
The settlement in detail is left to you.
You will inform the President--" they're
talking about the president of Mexico.
"--of the above most secretly as soon as the outbreak of war
with the United States of America is certain and add
the suggestion that he should, on his own initiative,
invite Japan to immediate adherence and at the same time
mediate between Japan and ourselves.
Please call the President's attention to the fact
that the ruthless employment of our submarines
now offers the prospect of compelling England
in a few months to make peace.
Signed Zimmerman."
Now, the Mexicans, when they read this,
they really didn't take it too seriously.
They didn't think that they could seriously
engage the US in a war.
They couldn't seriously take back
or occupy these territories.
So they didn't really think much of it.
The real effect of this telegram was
to make the American public angry.
They were going to go back into the unrestricted submarine
warfare.
And the Germans, themselves, talk about ruthless-- "ruthless
employment of our the submarines."
So when people talk about, what were the causes.
What brought the US into war?
The ones that are typically cited
are the unrestricted submarine warfare.
The sinking of the Lusitania.
The Zimmerman telegram that was trying
to get Mexico to somehow get into a war with the US
and reclaim these territories.
And as we'll see, a few months after this,
the US actually does declare war on Germany
and enter into World War I.