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 #47 : 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 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

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

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

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

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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