March 1 – The Zimmermann Telegram is Released

March 1, 1917

In January of the year 1917, the Zimmermann Telegram was intercepted and deciphered by British intelligence. It was sent by German Foreign Minister Arthur Zimmermann and intended for Heinrich von Eckhardt, the German Minister to Mexico. The message offered American territory to Mexico in return for an alliance with Germany.

President Woodrow Wilson discovered the telegram in February of 1917 and could no longer postpone American involvement in the war. On March 1, the Zimmermann Telegram was released by the press in the United States, informing the public of the current situation. Shortly after, the United States entered World War I.