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World War 1 Essay

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During World War 1, the battlefields were not constricted to land but rather took place overseas as well. World War 1 is known for several revolutionary boats that were used by the Navy to protect the nation’s soil by sea. Many of these ships included the Dreadnought, submarines, and a weapon used on submarines, torpedos. Throughout the war, these pieces of machinery have protected and served as a navy allowing countries to succeed at war. Most commonly known and used during world war 1 was the dreadnought, a large powerful battleship. A historically famous dreadnought the HMS Dreadnought became revolutionary for displaying innovations that sparked change in the construction of these future ships. For instance, it was equipped with an all-big-gun …show more content…

The submarine was popular before the First World War and was considered a threat to warships. However, the natural powers during the war decided in 1916 to declare a moratorium on unrestricted warfare. This suspension also led to a recall of all submarines that were not allowed to operate out of the Mediterranean and the English Channel. The next year, unrestricted submarine warfare became authorized again. Germany continued with their use of submarines and attempted an action at war; German submarines planned to sink the British merchant vessels and scare all the neutral ships that were trading with England. Submarines were also used by the United States Navy; the U.S. military used two types of submarines the nuclear-powered ballistic missile (SSN) and the fast attack submarine. Submarines have been a desired war tactic by many countries and remain significant to sea warfare by aiming bullets from underwater and surprising enemies with discrete attacks. German Navy took the use of submarine warfare to the next level and attempted to teach their allies a lesson. (Unrestricted Submarine Warfare: Was the German Policy of Unrestricted Warfare a Commitment to Total

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Unrestricted submarine warfare outraged many Americans because its application was an attack upon innocent civilian. Unrestricted submarine warfare also breaks an international law which states that the civilians of two warring countries are not targets. Germany not only harmed civilians, but it also broke international law. Through the sinking of the Lusitania, the public’s view of Germany’s unrestricted warfare policy intensified, and more people began to favor American involvement in the war. The sinking of the Lusitania became one of the most important events of the Great War because its reaction is, “the first step towards American involvement in the war.”

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Over this time period, the Germans had been using the same strategie of “Attack! Advance! Sink!” (Gannon) All of this was in part due to German U-boats focusing on attacking transport vessels at their most vulnerable, out at sea away from the Royal Air Force. This was the logic of Admiral Karl Dönitz, the commander of the submarine fleet.

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In 1900 Germany passed a Navy Law which doubled the German battle fleet.” (World War 1 - Militarism) This indicates that Germany was increasing its military capabilities by spending heavily on shipbuilding. This matters because the arms race that took place prior to World War I was significantly influenced by Germany's spending on its military technologies. It demonstrates how Germany was using its technology to strengthen its military and show its

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864 Words | 4 Pages

This submarine war zone promoted that they would sink all of the enemy's merchant ships if they tried to ship through the area. Wilson's responded by letting Germany know that if anything happened to the Americans ships, or people, that there would be some major

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During this time. Germany was constantly going against America's will, and breaking rules. According to document three a letter from Secretary of State to Germany it states " German authorities in violation of American rights on the high seas which culminated (resulted) in the torpedoing of the British steamship Lusitania on May 7, 1915 by which over 100 Americans citizens lost their lives" Germany and Britain May be at war however that does not give them the immunity to persecution after American rights on the high seas. However this is not the only instance Germany has wrong America during world war one while America was in the state of neutrality in document for a note from German foreign secretary or Thursday Merman two in Bassett or of Mexico states" we intend to begin submarine warfare ... if this is not successful we propose An alliance with Mexico on the following basis: that we shall give general financial support end it is understood that Mexico is to reconquer the lost territory in New Mexico ,Texas, and Arizona".

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During World War I, the Germans use a fighting tactic called Unrestricted Submarine Warfare. German U-Boats, or submarines, were told to sink any ship that posed a threat, passenger or cargo, it did not matter. In a newspaper article it shows that the Lusitania was a passenger boat going from the coast of New York to Ireland that was sunk by a German submarine (“Lusitania”). The fact that Germany sunk a passenger ship without reason infuriated the Americans. As the political cartoon by Matthew Bollinger shows, President Woodrow Wilson is holding a piece of paper that says that American lives were lost on the sinking of this ship (Bollinger).

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As he had wanted to start the war through democracy the sinking of the Lusitania and the 1198 people killed of which 128 were Americans also impacted the decision of going to war. However, on April 2, 1917, Wilson finally asked Congress to declare war on Germany, citing the country's policy of unrestricted submarine warfare, as well as its attempts to incite Mexico to attack the U.S. Congress, declared war on Germany on April 6. In sum, the United States entered World War I primarily due to German actions that threatened American lives and interests, such as the sinking of the Lusitania, the use of submarines to attack American ships, and the Zimmermann Telegram. Additionally, economic ties, President Woodrow Wilson's belief in a moral duty to fight for democracy and self-determination, as well as to end the war quickly and end the suffering caused by the conflict played an important

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World War One had many legacies after it ended. A legacy that the war left was power and authority in different countries effect after the war. The powers were the Nazis in Germany, the fascist in Italy,and the Bolsheviks in Russia. After the war many people were looking for hope,which made them join groups to make them feels apart of something.

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joined WWI. Two examples of these threats were the German U-Boat attacks and the Zimmerman Telegram. The Germans promised not to attack any American ships but, they broke their pledge. The Lusitania was one of many ships Germany attacked. After this attack the United States put their foot down.

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A few years later we see how unfortunately Germany slowly starts becoming the anvil. This is demonstrated in Document E when a propaganda cartoon is released stating “Freiheit Der Meere, England Der Blutsauger der Welt” (Document E). This cartoon was released in Germany in order to show how Britain was slowly starting to take over the world. Being a country that spends a lot of money on their Navy, Germany had valid reasons to be worried about Britain’s spread of

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When World War 1 first initiated in Europe in 1914 with the European nations battling against each other, President Woodrow Wilson declared that the United States would remain neutral. However, after German U-boats began attacking and sinking American and other neutral countries vessels carrying innocent passengers and supplies, President Wilson urged Congress in his address to declare war. Wilson expressed that his decision was not based on revenge or demonstration of strength since “property can be paid for while lives of innocent people cannot be,” but President Wilson wanted to vindicate human rights and bring democracy and peace to the world that was under autocratic authority (Doc. 1). The United States must partner with democratic nations in the war to maintain justice and human liberties in the future by fighting any threats to this peace, including autocratic

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The Imperial German Government’s purpose was to put aside all restraints of law or of humanity and use it’s submarines to sink every vessel. “The present German submarine warfare against commerce is a warfare against mankind,” Woodrow Wilson mentioned in his speech. This speech was monumental because it convinced American citizens entry into the war was necessary, brought America into a devastating war, probed America was a power of the world, brought women into workplaces, and it pushed for women’s suffrage. Not every

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703 Words | 3 Pages

As Germany returns, in 1917, to the policy of unrestricted submarine warfare, it came back to renew its suspension in response from force of the United States and other neutral countries. Unrestricted submarine warfare was first initiated in World War I on February 4th, 1915. Germany declared the area around the British Isles a war zone, in which all merchant ships, would be attacked by the German navy. On April 22nd, 1915, the German Embassy published a warning in newspapers to tell passengers that travel on Allied ships are “at their own risk.” One ship, called The Lusitania, was the first to submerge and depart, killing nearly 1300 passengers.

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1622 Words | 7 Pages

Germany’s resumption of submarine attacks on passenger and merchant ships in 1917 became the primary motivation behind Wilson’s decision

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The Importance of United States Submarine Warfare in World War II The success of submarines during the war wasn’t always a given, early in the war the United States was behind the curve both technologically and tactically. Although the United States were pioneers in submarine warfare, the Germans had surpassed them in tactics and technology. Due to the United States entering the war late the Axis forces had almost a decade lead in the use of submarines for warfare.

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