How did the discovery of the Zimmermann Telegram play a role in the entrance of the United States into the war?
A: It threatened nuclear war on the U.S.
B: It promised U.S. territory to Mexico in exchange for assisting Germany.
C: It offered support to Mexico for plans to invade the U.S.
D: It threatened to cancel all international exports to the U.S.
B: It promised U.S. territory to Mexico in exchange for assisting Germany. The discovery of the Zimmermann Telegram revealed Germany's plan to get Mexico to ally with them in World War I and promised to help Mexico regain Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico as a reward. This telegram's contents outraged American public opinion and helped bring the United States into World War I against Germany.
The correct answer to the question is B: It promised U.S. territory to Mexico in exchange for assisting Germany.
Now, let me explain how to arrive at this answer. The Zimmermann Telegram was a diplomatic communication sent by German Foreign Secretary Arthur Zimmermann to the German ambassador in Mexico in 1917. It was intercepted and decrypted by British intelligence.
To understand the significance of the Zimmermann Telegram in the entrance of the United States into the war, we need to consider the context of the time. During World War I, the United States initially declared neutrality and remained largely isolated from the conflict in Europe. However, as the war dragged on and various events unfolded, the sentiment in the United States began to shift.
In the Zimmerman Telegram, Zimmermann proposed that if the United States joined the war on the side of the Allies (Britain, France, and Russia), Mexico should ally with Germany. Germany promised to help Mexico regain territories that it had lost to the United States during the Mexican-American War, specifically Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. This proposition was intended to divert U.S. resources and attention away from Europe.
When the Zimmerman Telegram was made public by President Woodrow Wilson in March 1917, it caused outrage and fueled anti-German sentiments in the United States. American public opinion turned against Germany, as the notion of losing territory to Mexico in exchange for Mexico's alliance with Germany was seen as a direct threat to American national security and an affront to American sovereignty.
As a result, the Zimmermann Telegram played a significant role in pushing the United States toward entering World War I. It swayed public opinion and helped galvanize support for the United States' eventual declaration of war against Germany on April 6, 1917.