The Zimmermann Telegram was a diplomatic note sent by the German Foreign Secretary, Arthur Zimmermann, to the German Ambassador to Mexico in January 1917. The telegram proposed a military alliance between Germany and Mexico in the event of the United States entering World War I. The telegram was intercepted and decoded by British intelligence, and its contents were made public in the United States, causing a great deal of controversy and outrage. The telegram was seen as a provocation and a violation of American neutrality, and it was a major factor in the United States' decision to enter the war. As such, the Zimmermann Telegram is generally seen as a highly controversial and provocative document.
