Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Unrestricted U-Boat Warfare
Unrestricted U-Boat Warfare
Main navigation
Visit
Experience the Museum
Collections & Research
Education & Resources
Join & Give
Utility navigation
TICKETS
MEMBERS
NEWS
STORE
Annexed navigation
DONATE NOW
Military History
On May 7, 1915, German submarine U-20 torpedoed the Lusitania, a Cunard passenger
liner, off the coast of Ireland. Nearly 1,200 men, women, and children, including 128
Americans, lost their lives. The Allies and Americans considered the sinking an act of
indiscriminate warfare. The Germans asserted the Lusitania was carrying war matériel
and was therefore a legitimate target.
Faced with the possibility that the U.S. might go to war over the incident, Germany
backed down and ordered its U-boat fleet to spare passenger vessels. The order,
however, was temporary.
Germany built new and larger U-boats to punch holes in the British blockade, which was
threatening to starve Germany out of the war. In 1914, Germany had just 20 U-boats. By
1917, it had 140 and the U-boats had destroyed about 30 percent of the world's
merchant ships.
At the dawn of 1917, the German high command forced a return to the policy of
unrestricted submarine warfare, engineering the dismissal of opponents of the policy
that aimed to sink more than 600,000 tons of shipping a month. Germany was already
experiencing food shortages and had imposed unpopular compulsory service either in
armed forces or war industries. They hoped to break the British stranglehold blockade of
crucial German supply ports and knock Britain out of the war within the year.
U-boats resumed unrestricted attacks against all ships in the Atlantic, including civilian
passenger carriers. Although concerned the U.S. might react with intervention, German
military leaders calculated they could defeat the allies before the U.S. could mobilize
and arm troops to land in Europe.
Although President Wilson formally broke diplomatic relations in February 1917 when
the unrestricted submarine warfare resumed, he was still unsure how far public support
had moved. He declined to ask Congress for a declaration of war at that time, arguing
that Germany had still not committed any “actual overt acts” warranting a military
response.
Regular Hours
Tuesday - Sunday
10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Summer Hours
Daily (Memorial Day - Labor Day)
10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Holiday Hours→
About us
About Us
Careers
Policies & Permits
Press Room
Contact Us
Visit
Plan Your Visit
Group Visits
Venue Rentals
Museum Store
Museum Cafe
FAQ
Give
Become a Member
Donate an Object
Volunteer
Walk of Honor Bricks
Leave a Legacy
Corporate Giving
General Information
More info
Accept No, thanks