High School History - WW I

584 CHAPTER 19

This image of a

U-boat crew

machine-gunning

helpless survivors

of the Lusitania

was clearly meant

as propaganda.

In fact, U-boats

seldom lingered

after an attack.

The War Hits Home

Although the majority of Americans favored victory for the Allies rather

than the Central Powers, they did not want to join the Allies’ fight. By

1917, however, America had mobilized for war against the Central Powers

for two reasons: to ensure Allied repayment of debts to the United States

and to prevent the Germans from threatening U.S. shipping.

THE BRITISH BLOCKADE As fighting on land continued, Britain began to

make more use of its naval strength. It blockaded the German coast to pre-

vent weapons and other military supplies from getting through. However,

the British expanded the definition of contraband to include food. They also

extended the blockade to neutral ports and mined the entire North Sea.

The results were two fold. First, American ships carrying goods for

Germany refused to challenge the blockade and seldom reached their desti-

nation. Second, Germany found it increasingly difficult to import foodstuffs

and fertilizers for crops. By 1917, famine stalked the country. An estimated

750,000 Germans starved to death as a result of the British blockade.

Americans had been angry at Britain’s blockade, which threatened

freedom of the seas and prevented American goods from reaching German

ports. However, Germany’s response to the blockade soon outraged

American public opinion.

GERMAN U–BOAT RESPONSE Germany responded to the British

blockade with a counterblockade by U-boats (from Unterseeboot, the

German word for a submarine). Any British or Allied ship found in the

waters around Britain would be sunk—and it would not always be possi-

ble to warn crews and passengers of an attack.

One of the worst disasters occurred on May 7, 1915, when a U-boat sank the

British liner Lusitania (lLQsG-tAPnC-E) off the southern coast of Ireland. Of the

1,198 persons lost, 128 were Americans. The Germans defended their action on

the grounds that the liner carried ammunition. Despite Germany’s explanation,

Americans became outraged with Germany because of the loss of life. American

public opinion turned against Germany and the Central Powers.

A newspaper ad

for the Lusitania

included a

warning from the

German Embassy.

�

�