Zimmerman Note

1. What is unrestricted submarine warfare? 2. What does Germany promise Mexico in exchange for an alliance? 3. What will be the reaction of the United States? Primary Documents - Formal U.S. Declaration of War with Germany, 6 April 1917 U.S. President Woodrow Wilson outlined the case for declaring war upon Germany in a speech to the joint houses of Congress on 2 April 1917. The text below is the formal declaration of war which followed four days later, on 6 April 1917. Click here to read France's reaction to the U.S. decision to enter the war; click here to read Germany's; click here to read Britain's. Joint Resolution Declaring that a state of war exists between the Imperial German Government and the Government and the people of the United States and making provision to prosecute the same. Whereas the Imperial German Government has committed repeated acts of war against the Government and the people of the United States of America; Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress Assembled, that the state of war between the United States and the Imperial German Government which has thus been thrust upon the United States is hereby formally declared; and that the President be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed to employ the entire naval and military forces of the United States and the resources of the Government to carry on war against the Imperial German Government; and to bring the conflict to a successful termination all of the resources of the country are hereby pledged by the Congress of the United States. CHAMP CLARK Speaker of the House of Representatives THOS. R. MARSHALL Vice President of the United States and President of the Senate Approved, April 6, 1917 WOODROW WILSON

German Chancellor Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg on the Prospect of War with the U.S., April 1917 The directors of the American Nation have been convened by President Wilson for an extraordinary session of Congress in order to decide the question of war or peace between the American and German Nations. Germany never had the slightest intention of attacking the United States of America, and does not have such intention now. It never desired war against the United States of America and does not desire it today. How did these things develop? More than once we told the United States that we made unrestricted use of the submarine weapon, expecting that England could be made to observe, in her policy of blockade, the laws of humanity and of international agreements This blockade policy, this I expressly recall, has been called illegal and indefensible by President Wilson and Secretary of State Lansing. Our expectations, which we maintained during eight months, have been disappointed completely. England not only did not give up her illegal and indefensible policy of blockade, but uninterruptedly intensified it. England, together with her allies, arrogantly rejected the peace offers made by us and our allies and proclaimed her war aims, which aim at our annihilation and that of our allies. Then we took unrestricted submarine warfare into our hands; then we had to for our defence. If the American Nation considers this a cause for which to declare war against the German Nation with which it has lived in peace for more than 100 years, if this action warrants an increase of bloodshed, we shall not have to bear the responsibility for it. The German Nation, which feels neither hatred nor hostility, against the United States of America, shall also bear and overcome this. Source: Source Records of the Great War, Vol. V, ed. Charles F. Horne, National Alumni 1923