Zimmerman Note?

[cgannon64]

In case you don't know, the Zimmerman Note was an attempt by Germany to ally with Mexico in WWI (IIRC) to "regain the lost territory in Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico". It seems that niether Mexico nor America took it seriously. America intercepted it, and it was a great victory for the Americans who wanted the US in WWI.

So, I ask, what if Mexico took the Zimmerman note seriously? What if Mexico allied with Germany and declared war on the US? What if Germany gave weapons to Mexico? How would the earlier date of America's entrance in WWI have affected the war?

...

 

[Zarn]

I don't know, but It might have POed the rest of the Americas. The US would have been temporarily distracted with Mexico. Europe wasn't going anywhere. Both sides in Europe were way too warn out to advance either way.

 

[Unregister]

I am sure America would have just whipped Mexicos butt. I think we would have won the war eventually in Europe too, but it'd taken longer to do.

 

[Vrylakas]

The Zimmerman Note was an extremely foolish adventure by Germany. it had tried to bring not only Mexico but Japan as well into the war against the U.S. (Japan did consider it, but ultimately decided it had more to gain by seizing German colonies in the Pacific.)

Mexico had collapsed into revolution in 1911 and afterwards had something vaguely resembling a national government but it was very weak and had little control outside Mexico City. Mexico was incapable of ruling itself, much less attacking the U.S. In 1914 the U.S. seized the city of Veracruz and in 1916 a Mexican revolutionary, Poncho Villa (who sometimes fought for and sometimes against the government in Mexico City) launched a raid in Texas that brought an American army into Mexico for almost two years, hunting Villa. In both cases the Mexicans were aunble to do much. Mexico in 1917 when the Zimmerman Telegram came out resembled Afghanistan in 2001 politically. It was no threat to the U.S. You'll notice that despite evidence of talks, the U.S. never declared war on Mexico, only Germany.

 

[joespaniel]

Originally posted by cgannon64
So, I ask, what if Mexico took the Zimmerman note seriously? What if Mexico allied with Germany and declared war on the US? What if Germany gave weapons to Mexico? How would the earlier date of America's entrance in WWI have affected the war?

Mexico would have been the 51st state.

If America had entered the war earlier, it just would have ended the European conflict a little sooner.

The Zimmerman note, though it makes for a good story, was kind of a laughable attempt on Germany's part. They were out of touch with political reality on this side of the world.

 

[napoleon526]

Some people theorize that the Zimmerman telegram was really of British origin. The idea is that British Intelligence faked the telegram, knowing that fear of hordes of barbarous Mexicans storming over the border would be a definite motivator to America to enter the war against Germany.

 

[willemvanoranje]

Originally posted by napoleon526
Some people theorize that the Zimmerman telegram was really of British origin. The idea is that British Intelligence faked the telegram, knowing that fear of hordes of barbarous Mexicans storming over the border would be a definite motivator to America to enter the war against Germany.

hordes of barbarous Mexicans......with stones and sticks?

 

[test_specimen]

Originally posted by willemvanoranje


hordes of barbarous Mexicans......with stones and sticks?

Spearmen. Not to be underestimated.

 

[Lefty Scaevola]

Mexico had just finsihed a long civil war, they were in pitiful shape at the time.

 

[Toasty]

The Zimmerman telegram only requested assistance should the U.S. enter the war; it did not encourage American, or in actuality Mexican, involvement in the war.

However, as it's been said, sounds like a crazy crock come up with by an aristocrat with a fancy for diplomacy and not an actual diplomat considering Mexican status a la 1914-18 .