SAT II US History : Facts and Details in U.S. Foreign Policy from 1899 to the Present

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SAT II US History

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Example Questions

Example Question #41 : Facts And Details In U.S. Foreign Policy From 1899 To The Present

The Zimmerman Telegram helped generate support for the United States' entry into World War I because ____________________.

Possible Answers:

it outlined the exact war plans made by Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire to invade the United States

it proved that the United Kingdom was having secret talks with Germany about switching sides in the war

in it Germany promised Mexico a military alliance aimed at retaking the American southwest

it appealed to pro-German sentiment in American society and called for an internal uprising

it gave conclusive proof that American cargo and transport ships were being specifically targeted by German U-boats

Correct answer:

in it Germany promised Mexico a military alliance aimed at retaking the American southwest

Explanation:

By the beginning of 1917, the War in Europe was in a long stalemate, but America had not yet joined in despite being strongly favored towards the Allied powers of Great Britain and France, largely thanks to German wartime policies such as U-boat attacks on neutral ships. In January of 1917, a secret message from the German foreign office to the government of Mexico, known as "The Zimmerman Telegram," was discovered. In it, the German government suggested a military alliance that would seek to return the American Southwest to Mexico. This factor directly sparked the American entry into World War I.

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