▁tele gram ▁The ▁Z imm ermann ▁Tele gram ▁was ▁part ▁of ▁an ▁effort ▁carried ▁out ▁by ▁the ▁Germ ans ▁to ▁post p one ▁the ▁transport ation ▁of ▁supplies ▁and ▁other ▁war ▁materials ▁from ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁to ▁the ▁Al lied ▁Pow ers ▁that ▁were ▁at ▁war ▁with ▁Germany . ▁The ▁main ▁purpose ▁of ▁the ▁tele gram ▁was ▁to ▁make ▁the ▁Mexican ▁government ▁declare ▁war ▁on ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁in ▁hopes ▁of ▁t ying ▁down ▁American ▁forces ▁and ▁slow ing ▁the ▁export ▁of ▁American ▁arms . ▁The ▁German ▁High ▁Command ▁believed ▁they ▁would ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁defeat ▁the ▁British ▁and ▁French ▁on ▁the ▁Western ▁Front ▁and ▁str angle ▁Britain ▁with ▁un rest rict ed ▁sub marine ▁war fare ▁before ▁American ▁forces ▁could ▁be ▁trained ▁and ▁sh ipped ▁to ▁Europe ▁in ▁sufficient ▁numbers ▁to ▁aid ▁the ▁Al lied ▁Pow ers . ▁The ▁Germ ans ▁were ▁encourag ed ▁by ▁their ▁success es ▁on ▁the ▁Eastern ▁Front ▁into ▁bel ieving ▁that ▁they ▁would ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁di vert ▁large ▁numbers ▁of ▁troops ▁to ▁the ▁Western ▁Front ▁in ▁support ▁of ▁their ▁goals . ▁The ▁Mex icans ▁were ▁willing ▁to ▁consider ▁the ▁al liance ▁but ▁decl ined ▁the ▁deal ▁after ▁Americans ▁were ▁informed ▁of ▁the ▁Tele gram . ▁ ▁Mexican ▁response ▁Mexican ▁President ▁Ven ust iano ▁Car ran za ▁assigned ▁a ▁military ▁commission ▁to ▁assess ▁the ▁feas ibility ▁of ▁the ▁Mexican ▁take over ▁of ▁their ▁former ▁territ ories ▁cont empl ated ▁by ▁Germany . ▁The ▁gener als ▁concluded ▁that ▁it ▁would ▁be ▁neither ▁possible ▁nor ▁even ▁des irable ▁to