Why did America finally join WWI in the last 9 months of the War? The Great War had been raging for over two years when we sent troops to Europe. Read the story as to what led us to join the war effort.....
The Lusitania made her first ever voyage from England to New York in September 1907. Construction had begun in 1903 with the goal of building the fastest liner afloat. Her engines produced 68,000-horse power and pushed the giant through the water at an average speed over 25 knots. Dubbed the "Greyhound of the Seas" she soon became famous for crossing the Atlantic ocean faster than any other passenger liner.
The British Admiralty had secretly helped pay for her construction and she was built to Admiralty specifications with the understanding that at the outbreak of war the ship would be consigned to government service. As war clouds gathered in 1913, the Lusitania quietly entered dry dock in England and was fitted for war service. This included the installation of ammunition, magazines and gun mounts on her decks. The mounts, concealed under the teak deck, were ready for the addition of the guns when needed.
On May 1, 1915, the ship departed New York City bound for England. Unknown to her passengers but probably no secret to the Germans, almost all her hidden cargo consisted of munitions and contraband destined for the British war effort. As the fastest ship afloat, the luxurious liner felt secure in the belief she could easily outdistance any submarine. Nonetheless, the menace of submarine attack reduced her passenger list to only half her capacity.
Six days later, the ship neared the coast of Ireland. At 2:10 in the afternoon a torpedo fired by the German submarine U 20 slammed into her side. A mysterious second explosion ripped the liner apart. Chaos reigned. The ship listed so badly and quickly that lifeboats crashed into passengers crowded on deck, or dumped their loads into the water. Most passengers never had a chance. Within 18 minutes the giant ship slipped beneath the sea.
When the Germans sunk the Lusitania in 1915, the public opinion in the United States toward the war began to change. When the United States finally entered the war two years later, the cry "Remember the Lusitania" was used on recruitment posters and to unite the people against the Germans.
Walter Schwieger was captain of the U-Boat that sank the Lusitania. He watched through his periscope as the torpedo exploded and noted the result in his log,
Zimmerman Telegram
In January of 1917, the British intercepted and decoded a secret telegram sent from German Foreign Secretary Arthur Zimmerman to the German ambassador in Mexico. He proposed that Mexico ally with Germany against the United States. He promised them the territories of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.
Declaring War
The Zimmerman Telegram was the final straw. President Woodrow Wilson gave a speech to Congress on April 2, 1917 asking for them to declare war on Germany. In his speech he said that the U.S. would go to war to "fight for the ultimate peace of the world." On April 6, 1917 the U.S. officially declared war on Germany.
Comment on the Blog:
What fact did you find most interesting? No repeat facts please.
I thought it was interesting that they declared it 'unrestricted,' so they attacked any ship rather than just war ships. I thought the experiment was pretty cool, but just a little overdone.
ReplyDeleteThe fact I found most interesting was Quote: "A mysterious second explosion ripped the liner apart." of the
ReplyDeleteLusitania. This fact is one of mystery, and it fascinates me. :)
(\ /)
( . .)
c(")(")
I also find it very interesting that it took the sinking of the Lusitania to change America's opinion of the war...
ReplyDeletei found it interesting or weird that the Germans didnt have a problem with the "unrestricted" thing, knowing that they could have caused so many deaths.. and did by taking down any ships not just ones for war
ReplyDeleteI find it most interesting that "In January of 1917, the British intercepted and decoded a secret telegram sent from German... Etc" just because it interests me on how the secret telegrams were created, sent, and how they were decoded. Must have taken some time! I'd like to see what they looked like too.
ReplyDeleteI was impressed that a single U-boat took down three ships within a hour.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was kinda cool when the people jumped off the boat and grouped together. Because I would not have been able to think fast enough to do that.
ReplyDeleteI think it's tragic that people had to jump into the harsh water to try to survive. The fact I thought was interesting is that people lose heat from their bodies 26% faster in the water.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was interesting that the Germans were ok with killing so many innocent people. In a war, killing soldiers makes sense but citizens?thats just wrong
ReplyDeleteIt suprises me that anybody at all would even ride on a ship across the sea when there are u boats that could explode the ship at any time. It just tells you how awful countries could be back then, which is very sad:(
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting how fast the boat went (roughly 29 MPH, and a little over 2 minutes for 1 mile).
ReplyDeleteI think an interesting fact I remember from the video and text was that Britain helped fund the construction of the Lusitania . I also found it interesting how Germany had more of a submarine fleet than Britain, who is known for it's 'Royal Navy'.
ReplyDeleteAlso, even though the sinking of the Lusitania (which killed 128 Americans) changed America's opinion on the war (though I'm sure their opinion beforehand was not for the Central Powers anyways), it didn't cause them to enter the war. Though that too would have been a good entrance point, I think the fact that America joined later is sort of neat, perhaps America was what it took for the war to end????
ReplyDelete