How Unrestricted Submarine Warfare Lead US WW1?
| Answer In Short & Quick:
1. First Cause: The warfare policy created a major threat to the American civilians’ journey through the Atlantic ocean. On the 7th of May 1915, 128 US civilians lost their lives in an attack by German U-boats. 2. Second Cause: Secondly, it created a major impact on the United States’ supplies to the European continent. Because the German navy also targeted American cargo ships unknowingly. Primarily, Germans wanted to stop all the supplies to Great Britain via this naval blockade. They hoped that the harsh naval blockade would lead the British to surrender. Understand everything better in the following. |
Description – Unrestricted Submarine Warfare Lead US WW1
Early during World War1, 1915, Germany launched a warfare policy.
In history, the policy is infamous as Unrestricted Submarine Warfare.
As per the policy, the German government declared the isle areas near Britain as War Zone.
They ordered their U-boats (Submarines) to attack all kinds of vessels that passes through the areas.
No matter if are they British boats or someone else’s.
German authority’s main purpose through the policy was to make the British government oblige to surrender the war.
On the 7th of May 1915, the German navy attacked and sank a British vessel ‘Lusitania’, where more than 1070 Britishers and 128 Americans lost their lives.
They kept attacking other merchant vessels also, where the majority were from the United States of America.
This act of the German navy made America quite angry.
Hence, at that time, the US president, Woodrow Wilson strongly warned Germany to stop attacking unarmed vessels without any warning.
In September 1915, Germany had to stop the policy due to pressure from the US and other neutral countries.
[Keep In Mind: Because of the Great War, most of the factories in Europe were tied up. So, at that time, the United States had to export goods, including war materials to the continent. Economically, these exports greatly benefited the country]
Why Germany Was Using Unrestricted Submarine Warfare Policy?
Germany had no deep rivalry with the United States, they just wanted to stop all the supplies that coming from other countries to Great Britain.
Germany wondered that their policy would make Great Britain weaker and they would be obliged to surrender finally.
But as they assumed, that didn’t happen.
Why?
Here is why…
The Final Chapter How It Leads US WW1
On the 1st of February 1917, Germans re-launched their policy of Unrestricted Submarine Warfare.
They again started attacking American civilian and Cargo vessels.
Those actions from the German side started impacting negatively on the USA’s supply to Europe and the security of civilians.
Therefore, finally, in the end, the US had to declare war on Germany on 2nd April 1917.
However, the Unrestricted Submarine Warfare policy was not the only cause, which lead to the U.S involvement in WW1.
There are also many other causes behind the USA’s decision.
Another important cause was the controversial Zimmerman Telegram.
Was This War Policy An Immediate Push For The US Entry In WW1?
Yes, the Unrestricted Submarine Warfare policy by the German navy was an immediate cause of the United States’ entry into the First World War.
Along with this one, the Zimmermann telegram was also an important immediate factor in it.
If Germany had not done these two things, then America would probably never have been involved in the Great War.
What Was The Final Result of The US Entry Into The War?
The entry of the United States changed the final result of World War 1.
With the United States’ arrival, the allies in the war became much more powerful.
On November 11th, the year 1918, allies including Great Britain, France, the United States, Italy, Japan, and others declared victory over Central power.
