unrestricted submarine warfare
Quick Summary
Unrestricted submarine warfare, a tactic employed by Germany during World War I, involved attacking enemy shipping without warning. This strategy was a significant factor in the United States' decision to enter the war.123
Initially, Germany restricted its submarine warfare due to concerns about provoking the U.S. However, by February 1917, the German naval command, supported by military leaders, decided to resume unrestricted submarine warfare, believing it was crucial to overcome the British naval blockade and starve Britain into submission.14
The sinking of the British ocean liner Lusitania in 1915, which resulted in the deaths of 128 American citizens, was a major incident that fueled anti-German sentiment in the U.S. and contributed to the eventual declaration of war. Despite the effectiveness of submarines in sinking Allied and neutral ships, the introduction of the convoy system, along with improved anti-submarine technology and increased shipbuilding, ultimately countered the German U-boat campaign.324
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World War IThe war at sea, 1914–15…to rely entirely on the submarine.
Read More…to rely entirely on the submarine.
Read More- World War IGerman strategy and the submarine war, 1916–January 1917
…a tentative reopening of the submarine campaign on February 4, 1916, the German naval authorities in March gave the U-boats permission to sink without warning all ships except passenger vessels. The German civilian statesmen, however, who paid due attention to their diplomats’ warnings about U.S. opinion, were soon able to…
Read More…a tentative reopening of the submarine campaign on February 4, 1916, the German naval authorities in March gave the U-boats permission to sink without warning all ships except passenger vessels. The German civilian statesmen, however, who paid due attention to their diplomats’ warnings about U.S. opinion, were soon able to…
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