by Jackie Zhang
It’s May 7th, 1915, in the southern coast of Ireland. World War I is already raging across Europe, and tensions are high. As the largest ship in the world sails from New York to Liverpool, a torpedo from a German U-boat crashes into her side, and large explosions erupt over the ship. The boat sinks within 20 minutes, drowning around 1,200 people, 128 of which are US citizens. The attack raises anger from the United States and ultimately leads to the United States entering World War I. This major historic ocean liner’s name was The RMS Lusitania and proved crucial to the entry of the U.S. into World War I. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson announced that the United States would remain neutral in lieu of World War I, much to the approval of many Americans. However, Britain,who was involved deeply in the War, was one of the U.S.’s closest allies and trading partners. This caused tensions between Germany and the United States, as American ships traveling to Britain were being sunk by German mines. Tensions culminated when Germany declared unrestricted submarine warfare in the waters surrounding Britain. Consequently, newspapers began publishing warnings to Americans traveling through British war zones. The British Admiralty warned the Lusitania about the U-boats and advised the ship on ways to avoid them. They suggested using strategies like zig-zagging when a U-boat was in sight. However, CaptainWilliam Turner ignored the warnings, deciding to follow his own instincts and continued sailing on the designated course. On the afternoon of May 7th, the Lusitania was hit by an exploding torpedo that penetrated the hull just below the waterline which was followed by another massive secondary explosion in the ship’s boilers. The U-boat was captained by Kapitänleutnant Walther Schwieger, who spotted the Lusitania and was able to sink her with one blow. The Lusitania sank in under 20 minutes, drowning 1,195 innocent civilians. This angered the American people greatly and increased the necessity of war. The Lusitania was revealed to have been carrying munitions, so the Germans argued that their attack on the ship was justified because the ship would have improved the war efforts of their enemy. The United States, on the other hand, argued that Lusitania was primarily a passenger ship and public opinion against Germany in the US definitely turned. Despite Germany’s apologies and promises, it sunk several more ocean liners and reinstated its submarine warfare policy, which eventually prompted the United States to officially join World War I and officially join World War I. The Americans were angry that 128 U.S. civilians were killed in a war that they weren’t even taking part in. The Lusitania was particularly significant in the entry of the U.S. in World War I because it violated the neutrality proclamation Germany made with the U.S. and generated the public opinion that it was impossible for the U.S. to carry on civilized 19th-century warfare into the 20th century .
Sources:
“PBS Online - Lost Liners - Lusitania.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, www.pbs.org/lostliners/lusitania.html.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Lusitania.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 29 Oct. 2019, www.britannica.com/topic/Lusitania-British-ship.
History.com editors. “German Submarine Sinks Lusitania.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 16 Nov. 2009, www.history.com/this-day-in-history/german-submarine-sinks-lusitania.
Commentaires