When news of the telegram first spread out, the reaction of America was
different than what Britain had expected. Instead of joining the forces
against Germany, Americans ignored it and believed it to be a fraud. Both
the United States and Mexico did not wish to acknowledge the telegram
because if believed in, the election of a new Mexican government more
friendly to US interests would be hindered. News of the telegram
exacerbated tensions between the USA and Mexico, since such a treaty, if
in place, would have hindered the election of a new Mexican government
more friendly to US interests. Therefore, Americans
concluded that the telegram was just an another trick to lure them into
the Allied side. This was supported by German, Mexican and Japanese
diplomats and by the American pacifist and pro-German lobbies.
In a surprising move, however, Zimmermann gave a speech on March 29, 1917,
confirming the authenticity of the telegram. His purpose was to try to
explain the contents from his point of view without angering the US. To
begin with, he claimed that he had not send a letter to Carranza, but had
only sent a message to the German ambassador in Mexico. He stated that he
hoped the US would keep its neutrality despite the unrestricted submarine
warfare. Furthermore, he explained that he believed that the orders he had
given to the Mexican government was “absolutely loyal as regards the US”
because its actions were only supposed to happen if the US attacked.
Zimmermann went as far as blaming President Wilson himself for breaking
off alliances with Germany "with extraordinary roughness" after
the telegram was intercepted and that the German ambassador "no
longer had the opportunity to explain the German attitude, and that the US
government had declined to negotiate".
Even when the telegram said that it wished for America’s neutrality, it itself was the push that finally sent America over the edge. After being constantly attacked by German submarines, finally finding proof of a conspiracy stirred many Americans into hatred. Wilson requested Congress to declare war on Germany on April 2, 1917. On April 6, 1917, Congress agreed, finally drawing the US into the World War I. This greatly helped the Allied. With its strong army, the US soldiers were bringing glorious victories for the Allied and helping other armies in times of need. A stunning accomplishment by the US was when they forced clear the St. Mihiel salient, launching the greatest air assault of the war doing so. America contributed greatly during the World War I.
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