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Lusitania and Zimmerman Telegram

What is lusitania?

FIRST TOPIC

On May 7, 1915, less than a year after World War I (1914-18) erupted across Europe, a German U-boat torpedoed and sank the RMS Lusitania, a British ocean liner en route from New York to Liverpool, England. Of the more than 1,900 passengers and crew members on board, more than 1,100 perished, including more than 120 Americans. Nearly two years would pass before the United States formally entered World War I, but the sinking of the Lusitania played a significant role in turning public opinion against Germany, both in the United States and abroad.

Lusitania

Lusitania

What is the Zimmermann Telegram?

*The Zimmermann Telegram (or Zimmermann Note or Zimmerman Cable) was a secret diplomatic communication issued from the German Foreign Office in January 1917 that proposed a military alliance between Germany and Mexico in the prior event of the United States entering World War I against Germany.

* Promised to give Mexico Arizona, Texas, and New Mexico i they agreed to support Germany in the war.

Zimmerman Telegram

Zimmerman Telegram

Why are they important?

Why are they important?

Both of those events took place after the war started. What the sinking of

the Lusitania did was to begin to turn American public opinion against the

Germans. Originally, Americans decided to be neutral. Of the 1,198 people

killed, 124 Americans died when the ship was sunk. The ship was a

passenger liner and was not supposed to be fired upon. On May 1,1915,

the Germans printed a warning that said “travelers sailing the war zone on

ships of Great Britain or her allies do so at their own risk”. International law

had required that a sub surface to warn its target. Passengers and crewmembers

were supposed to be allowed to get into life boats before the

ship was sunk. Instead, the German U-boat struck without warning on May

15th.

US President Wilson demanded Germans to apologize, pay damages, and

promise not to attack any more passenger ships. In the next months,

Germany did attack more ships carrying Americans. President Wilson

threatened to break off relations with Germany if they did not end the

attacks on passenger and cargo ships.

Why are they important?

Why are they important?

On February 25, 1917, Britain informed the US of a secret telegram

intercepted. The Zimmerman telegram was sent by Germany to Mexico,

telling the Mexico that if they declare war against America, they would

have an ally in Germany. They also said they would resume unrestricted

submarine warfare in the telegram. When the US found out about it, public opinion was almost unanimous against the

Germans and their Allies.

New York Times

Why did Germany want continue with submarine warfare?

Why did Germany continue with submarine warfare?

Germany believed that using submarines to sink British ships would be the fastest and eastiest way to defeat Britain and get them out of the war. They believed that if Britain was defeated, then America would be unlikely to join the war. This was a massive gamble.

The Zimmerman telegram is a secret diplomatic commuicati...

The Zimmerman telegram is a secret diplomatic communication from?

A. Britian

B. German

C. United States

D. Italy

American Entry into WWI

Why did America enter WWI?

After the sinking of the Lucitania, the Zimmerman Telegram, and Germany's promise to continue unrestricted submarine warfare, Woodrow Wilson and congress declared war on Germany and officially entered WWI. He declared that America must go to the support of Democracy against the aggressors, who were attacking innocent people.

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