| JHuschke |
09-01-09 04:19 PM |
I will never forget World War I nor World War II. Notice how easy the Americans get into the war..
The Germans knew that the allies depended on food, equipment and other supplies from both U.S. and their overseas empires. If Germany could strangle that trade, it could starve out the British and French into surrender. To get around Britain's blockade, the Germans deployed submarines known as U-boats "Unterseeboot/Underwater boat". In February 1915, the Germans announced that they would attempt to sink without warning to any ship that was sighted in waters around Great Britain.
Germany's announcement triggered outrage in the U.S. and elsewhere. Attacking civilian vessels without warning was a violation of an international treaty stipulating that military vessels must reveal their intentions to merchant ships and make provisions for the safety of the targeted ship's crew and passengers before firing upon it. The Germans claimed that many merchant ships were actually warships in disguise and that their U-boats would be placed at great risk if they were to reveal themselves before firing.
The issue reached a crisis on May 7, 1915. Despite warnings from Germany, the British passenger liner Lusitania entered the war zone. A submerged German submarine, U-20. Killing nearly 1,200 passengers including 128 Americans. Many Americans regarded the attack as an act of terrorism, not war. The Americans and British denied, saying there were no munitions or war provisions on board the Lusitania.The German government, claiming in an official statement that she had been armed with guns, and had had "large quantities of war material" in her cargo..They also stated that since she was classed as an auxiliary cruiser, Germany had had a right to destroy her regardless of any passengers aboard, and that the warnings issued by the German Embassy prior to her sailing plus the 18 February note declaring the existence of "war zones", relieved Germany of any responsibility for the deaths of American citizens aboard. Her cargo had included an estimated 4,200,000 rounds of rifle cartridges, 1,250 empty shell cases, and 18 cases of non-explosive fuses, all of which were listed in her manifest, but the cartridges were not officially classed as ammunition by the Cunard Line.
The British Navy attempted to destroy the wreck in the 1950s to conceal its military cargo. Researcher, Gregg Bemis who found Lusitania and excavated the site said, "The charge that the Lusitania was carrying war materiel is valid, She was a legitimate target for the German submarine."
In late March 1916, President Wilson's (U.S.) policy was tested when a U-boat torpedoed the French passenger ship Sussex, injuring a few Americans on board it. Wilson chose to issue one last warning. Germany didn't want the allies strengthened by drawing the U.S. into the war. It promised with certain conditions to sink no more merchant ships without warning.
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