But Germany knew they were out producing the allies when it came to submarines and were still having success with their more careful policy. In early 1917, Germany still hadn’t won the war and there was a stalemate on the battlefields of Western Europe. In the face of opposition from the neutrals (like the US who threatened to join the war), and demands from German politicians for the submarines to be brought under control, the Germans changed tactics. Sailors were dying, and theoretically neutral nations like the US were livid. Unrestricted submarine warfare, because there were no restrictions on who to sink. The Germans thus began sinking the ships coming to Britain: enemy, neutral, civilian alike. Unfortunately, there was one problem: the Germans had bigger and better submarines than the British, who were backward in understanding their potential, but a submarine can’t easily board and sail off a vessel like the British ships were doing. Basically, the German above sea fleet was restricted to cat and mouse operations, but their submarines were told to go out and blockade the British by stopping any Atlantic trade reaching them. Germany also decided to blockade Britain, but not only did they cause upset they caused their own destruction. Of course, Britain had the advantage, as it was between Germany and the Atlantic shipping routes, so US purchases were effectively cut off. To do so they seized the shipping of neutral countries and caused a lot of upset, but Britain was able to soothe ruffled feathers and come to agreements with these neutral countries. The British knew that their navy was the only part of their military who could lose the war in an afternoon and decided not to use it in a massive battle but to blockade all the shipping routes to Germany and try and starve their enemy into submission. In fact, this only ever almost happened at Jutland, and that was inconclusive. When this war began, many expected the resulting navies to sail out and fight a great naval battle. This resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare would ultimately bring the United States into the war.In the build-up to the First World War, Germany and Britain were involved in a naval race to see how many bigger and better battleships could be created. It was viewed as the only way to starve Britain and France into submission. However, pressure on the German high command to resume unrestricted submarine warfare was great. Few believed that a civilian passenger ship would be deliberately targeted.įollowing the sinking of the Lusitania in 1915, Germany would institute a moratorium on unrestricted submarine warfare. The Lusitania had previously made a half dozen Atlantic round trips without incident. Vessels flying the flag of Great Britain or any of her allies are liable to destruction. Travelers intended to embark for an Atlantic voyage are reminded that a state of war exists between Germany and her allies and Great Britain and her allies. The German Embassy had issued a warning that appeared in New York newspapers: A total of 1,198 passengers and crew members lost their lives only 861 people survived. The ship sank off the Irish coast in under 20 minutes. On May 7, 1915, the Lusitania, the "fastest vessel afloat," was sunk by a torpedo from a German submarine. Digital History Printable Version The Lusitania
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |