Zimmermann Telegram facts for kids

The Zimmermann Telegram (also called the Zimmermann Note) was a secret message sent from Germany to Mexico on January 16, 1917. It was a big reason why the United States decided to join World War I. The telegram is named after the German official who sent it, Arthur Zimmermann. He was Germany's Foreign Secretary, which means he was in charge of Germany's relationships with other countries.

Zimmermann sent the message to the German ambassador in the United States, Johann von Bernstorff. Bernstorff then forwarded it to the German ambassador in Mexico, Heinrich von Eckardt.

What the Secret Message Said

The telegram had a very important and secret message. It said that Germany planned to start sinking ships without warning again, using their submarines. This was called "unrestricted submarine warfare." Germany hoped the United States would stay neutral, meaning they wouldn't pick a side in the war.

But if the U.S. did join the war, Germany wanted Mexico to become their ally. This meant Mexico would join the war on Germany's side and attack the United States. Germany promised to give Mexico money and help them get back land they had lost to the U.S. in the Mexican–American War. This land included parts of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.

Germany wanted Mexico to attack the U.S. so that America would be too busy fighting Mexico to send help to Germany's enemies in Europe. However, Mexico was already dealing with its own problems, like the Mexican Revolution, so they weren't very interested in joining another war.

How the Telegram Was Discovered

The British secret service managed to get their hands on the telegram. They were able to decode the secret message. The British kept the telegram a secret for a while, until February 24, 1917.

Then, they showed it to President Woodrow Wilson of the United States. President Wilson decided to make the telegram public so that everyone in America would know about it.

America Joins World War I

When the American people found out about the Zimmermann Telegram, they were very angry. They saw it as a direct threat from Germany. President Wilson then asked the United States Congress to declare war on Germany.

Congress agreed to his request on April 2, 1917. Four days later, on April 6, 1917, the United States officially announced that it was at war with Germany. Americans were already upset because German submarines had been sinking ships, but the Zimmermann Telegram was the final push that made America enter World War I.

Images for kids

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  The Zimmermann Telegram as it was sent from Washington to Ambassador Heinrich von Eckardt, the German ambassador to Mexico.

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  Arthur Zimmermann

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  The Mexican Telegraph Company building in Galveston through which the Zimmerman Telegram was relayed

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  A portion of the Telegram as decrypted by British Naval Intelligence codebreakers. The word Arizona was not in the German codebook and thus had to be split into phonetic syllables.

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  The Telegram, completely decrypted and translated

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  1917 political cartoon about the Zimmermann Telegram

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  "Exploding in his Hands"

See also

In Spanish: Telegrama Zimmermann para niños