Sinking of the Lusitania

Whether the torpedoes completed the destruction of the ship by their own power or they were
aided by internal ammunition explosions, the German submarine attack devastated the
Lusitania. The ship sank within twenty minutes of when she was hit and took with her 1,201
people - and left only 764 to be saved by those who responded to her SOS (Simpson 9). Many
American lives were lost as a result of the sinking, and because the Lusitania was never officially
in government service, the United States believed the attack on her "was contrary to
international law and the conventions of all civilized nations" (Simpson 8-9). The sinking of the
Lusitania caused serious tension between the United States and Germany. Though those tensions
were in a large part resolved over time, the sinking of the Lusitania still stands out in history
because it was the single most dramatic incident in the conflicts over German submarine warfare
in World War I .

The Zimmerman Telegram:

In early 1917, British cryptographers were surprised when a encoded German transmission came across their
desks. These experts were able to decipher the message, and in doing so changed history more than any other
cryptographer, past or present.
The Zimmerman telegram was a secret communication from German Foreign Minister Arthur Zimmerman to
the German Minister to Mexico, von Eckhardt. It contained an offer of US territory for Mexico, if it joined the
German cause.
Until that point, the United States had tried to remain neutral in World War I. However, the British and other
allies were begging and pleading for help. Attitudes in the US were shifting towards war, and the telegram acted
as a catalyst. The British capitalized on that attitude, and in a politically smart move, they showed the United
States the telegram on February 24, 1917.
The United States published the telegram, making the public aware of it on March 1. The public opinion quickly
became a definite pro-war. Congress officially declared war against Germany and its allies on April 6, 1917.

Unrestricted Submarine Warfare

By 1917, Germany was in a better position to engage in unrestricted submarine warfare. She had a fleet of 46
large submarines capable of operating in deep water. Germany also had 23 U-boats that could operate at a
coastal level. German naval intelligence believed that unrestricted submarine warfare would result in the loss of
600,000 tons of shipping per month - double the tonnage that 'cruiser' warfare accounted for. Coupled with the
internationally bad harvest of 1916, there was a belief in Berlin that Britain could be starved into defeat within 5
months. The military believed that America would not enter the war while politicians were less sure. The
decision for unrestricted submarine warfare was made on that day and it started on February 1st 1917.
Wilson broke off diplomatic relations with Germany in an effort to bring Germany to its senses. He hoped that
such an action would force Germany to go back on its decision. This did not happen and relations between
America and Germany became very strained when British intelligence intercepted a message from Germany to
Mexico whereby Germany offered her support to Mexico if America entered the war against Germany because
of unrestricted submarine warfare. By March 21st, seven American merchant ships had been sunk by the
Germans. Wilson summoned Congress and on April 6th 1917, America entered the war.

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