Zimmermann Telegram

The Zimmermann Telegram refers to a telegram sent by German foreign secretary Arthur Zimmermann to the German ambassador to the United States, Count Johann von Bernstorff, who passed it along to the German ambassador to Mexico. The message instructed the ambassador to offer financial aid to Mexico if it agreed to ally with Germany in any future conflict with the United States. It also offered Mexico the lost territories of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona if the conflict resolved favorably for them. Intercepted by British intelligence, the contents of the telegram were relayed to President Woodrow Wilson in February 1917. Wilson released the contents of the telegram to the press and the story reached the public on March 1, 1917.

Although the telegram would ultimately factor into the United States’ entry into the war, Mexico - due in part to internal conflicts - remained neutral.