Why was the sinking of the Lusitania important?
A. It showed the dangers of indiscriminate mining of waterways.
B. It highlighted British aggression towards neutral shipping and citizens.
C. It kept the United States out of World War I.
D. It highlighted German submarine aggression to US citizens and ships.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
Correct Answer: D. It highlighted German submarine aggression to US citizens and ships.
The sinking of the Lusitania on May 7, 1915, was a pivotal moment in World War I, particularly in shaping American public opinion toward the conflict. The British ocean liner was torpedoed by a German U-boat off the coast of Ireland, killing 1,198 people, including 128 Americans. This tragedy highlighted the aggressive and often indiscriminate nature of German submarine warfare, which targeted vessels—sometimes without warning—regardless of civilian passengers.
Germany had declared the waters around the British Isles a war zone and warned that ships entering those waters could be sunk without notice. Despite the warnings, the Lusitania set sail from New York to Liverpool carrying passengers and some munitions. The German attack, however, was seen by many Americans as an unjustified act of violence against innocent civilians, leading to widespread outrage.
The event significantly shifted American public sentiment against Germany and made neutrality harder to maintain. President Woodrow Wilson initially tried to avoid war, demanding that Germany cease unrestricted submarine warfare. While Germany temporarily curtailed these attacks, they resumed them in early 1917, contributing to the U.S. decision to enter the war.
Thus, the Lusitania disaster was not the immediate cause of the U.S. entering World War I, but it played a crucial role in eroding isolationist sentiment and framing the war as a fight against barbarism. The attack underscored the dangers posed to neutral nations by modern warfare and emphasized the need for the United States to protect its citizens and global standing. It also became a powerful propaganda tool to rally support for the Allied cause and portray Germany as a threat to international norms and human decency.
