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The promise by Germany in 1916 to stop sinking merchant ships without warning?
Wiki User
∙ 6y ago
The international rules of war...and yes, there ARE rules of war!.. in 1916 were that submarines had to surface, ask a ship to stop, send over a crew in a small boat, examine the ships papers, and then decide if it was OK to sink the ship after the crew had been given a chance to abandon ship. As you can imagine, this didn't work too well, and Germany was losing WW1 because it was blockaded by the British Navy and couldn't do much about ships bringing supplies into England under the rules above. Every time the Germans would start sinking ships without warning, the US would protest, and to keep the US out of the war the Germans would modify their behavior for a while. Eventually they realized they were done if they couldn't stop the British from importing what the British needed, so turned to unrestricted submarine warfare and that brought America into the war. It is also to be noted that, 22 years later when WW2 broke out, US, German, Japanese and British subs never even pretended to do the stop and search routine but just fired away from the beginning.
Wiki User
∙ 7y ago
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Germany's carefully conditional agreement in 1916 not to sink passenger and merchant vessels without warning?
Sussex Pledge
What country released the Sussex pledge?
The Sussex pledge was a promise made in 1916 during WWI by Germany to the US prior to the latter's entry into the war. Early in 1916, Germany instituted a policy of unrestricted submarine warfare, which allowed armed merchant ships and not passenger ships to be torpedoed without warning. Despite this avowed restriction, a French cross-channel passenger ferry, the Sussex was torpedoed without warning on March 24, 1916; severely damaged, and about 50 people died. Although no US citizens were killed in this attack, President Woodraw Wilson declared that if Germany continued this practice, the United States will break diplomatic relations with them. Fearing the entry of the United States into World War I, Germany tried to appease the United States by issuing, on May 4, 1916, the pledge, which promised a change in Germany's naval warfare policy. The promise held to these points:Passenger ships will not be targeted; Merchant ships willnot be sunk until the presence of weapons was established, if necessary by a search of the ship; Merchant ships will not be sunk without provision for the safety of passengers and crew.In 1917 Germany became convinced that they could defeat the Allied Forces by instituting unrestricted submarine warfare before the United States entered the war. The pledge was therefore rescinded in January 1917, thereby initiating the decisive stage of the so-called first battle of the atlantic. The resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare and the Zimmerman telegram caused the United States to declare war on Germany on April 6, 1917.
Why did Americans hate Germans in World War I?
Nothing - the start of the war had nothing to do with the US. The United States entered the war much later as a result of a number of events, including the Zimmerman Telegraph and unrestricted submarine warfare.
What did you-boats have to do with the US entering World War 1?
Sinking civilian ships without warning (un-restricted submarine warfare).
Why was the sussex pledge important?
It was a promise made in 1916 between Germany and the United States, before the US entered the war, allowing armed merchant ships, but not passenger ships, to be torpeoded without warning. However it was rescinded in 1917
Promise not to sink more merchant ships wiithout warning?
The Sussex Pledge (:
When did German submarines began sinking unarmed and unresisting merchant and passenger ships without warning?
World War 1.
German submarines began sinking unarmed and unresisting merchant and passenger ships without warning?
WWI; Guerre de Course-Merchant Raiding aka Commerce raiding.
Germany's carefully conditional agreement in 1916 not to sink passenger and merchant vessels without warning?
Sussex Pledge
What was the Sussex Pledge?
The Sussex pledge was an agreement between the U.S and Germany. Germany agreed not to sink merchant vessels without warning or without assuring the passengers safety.
What are unrestricted u-boat attacks?
Sinking without warning.
How did the Germans defend their sinking of the Lusitania?
They had posted a warning notice in the newspaper
When did the sussex and Arabic pledge happen?
Germany made the Arabic Pledge on September 18, 1915 and followed it with the Sussex Pledge on May 14, 1916. Both related to the sinking of merchant ships carrying US American citizens by German U-Boats during World War I and both expressed an intent by the Germans not to harm American citizens without ample warning.
Which ship sent titanic its last warning before sinking?
RMS Californian
Why was the us concerned about the German you- boats?
I think you mean the U-boats. And they were concerned, if you mean at the beginning of WWI, because the Germans were sinking ships without warning, including passenger ships, namely, the US ship Lusitania. The U-boats were also sinking ships from neutral countries. They made a promise to stop, but continued anyway. This led directly to the US entering WWI.So, to make a long story short, they were sinking innocent ships.
What actions led the US to enter World War 1?
April 1917 President Wilson asked congress to approve a declaration of War. The United States decision to enter the war had a great deal to do with the sudden change in German Military strategy. In January of 1917 the German's resumed the practice of Unrestricted Submarine Warfare. In the first weeks of March Germany sunk 5 unarmed US merchant ships. Previously in 1916, after Germany sank the Sussex a US merchant ship, the US threatened to enter the war, and Germany backed down. They promised not to sink merchant or passenger ships without warning. They kept this promise until 1917. Other immediate causes for US entering the war are the 1) Zimmerman Telegram (intercepted by British intelligence a note between Germany and Mexico proposing that the two countries align) and 2) the Russian Revolution.
What German actions led The US to enter the war?
April 1917 President Wilson asked congress to approve a declaration of War. The United States decision to enter the war had a great deal to do with the sudden change in German Military strategy. In January of 1917 the German's resumed the practice of Unrestricted Submarine Warfare. In the first weeks of March Germany sunk 5 unarmed US merchant ships. Previously in 1916, after Germany sank the Sussex a US merchant ship, the US threatened to enter the war, and Germany backed down. They promised not to sink merchant or passenger ships without warning. They kept this promise until 1917. Other immediate causes for US entering the war are the 1) Zimmerman Telegram (intercepted by British intelligence a note between Germany and Mexico proposing that the two countries align) and 2) the Russian Revolution.
