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Table of Contents
A German U-boat struck and sunk the RMS Lusitania, a British ocean liner underway from New York to Liverpool, England, on May 7, 1915, less than a year since World War I (1914-1918) erupted throughout Europe. More than 1,100 of more than 1,900 passengers and staff members on board died, along with more than 120 Americans. The United States would not formally enter World War I for another two years. Still, the sinking of the Lusitania had a crucial influence on shifting public sentiment towards Germany in both United States and elsewhere.
See the fact file below for more information on the sinking of RMS Lusitania or download the comprehensive worksheet pack which can be utilized within the classroom or home environment.
Facts & Information
Development and Construction of RMS Lusitania
- Cunard commissioned the ship Lusitania and Mauretania in response to increased rivalry from competing transatlantic passenger lines, especially its German Norddeutscher Lloyd (NDL) and Hamburg America Line (HAPAG). They possessed larger, quicker, more modern, and more elegant liners than Cunard. They positioned it better to seize the lucrative trade in immigrants departing Europe for North America, beginning from German ports.
- J. D. P. Morgan decided to participate in transatlantic shipping by forming a new firm, International Mercantile Marine (IMM). In 1901, he bought the British freight carrier Frederick Leyland & Co. and a majority stake in the British passenger White Star Line and merged them into IMM.
- In 1902, IMM, NDL, and HAPAG formed a “Community of Interest” to control prices and split transatlantic commerce among themselves. In addition, the partners purchased a 51% share in the Dutch Holland America Line. IMM made bids to buy Cunard, which, alongside the French CGT, constituted now its main adversary.
- Cunard formed a committee to deliberate on the design of the new ships, with Cunard’s Marine Superintendent, James Bain, serving as chairman. Rear Admiral H. J. Oram, who had worked on ideas for steam turbomachinery vessels for the Royal Navy, and Charles Parsons, whose business Parsons Marine was now making turbine engines, were also members.
- Through a linked system, 49 different units powered by electric fans offered seven complete air rotations per hour throughout the ship, allowing individual teams to shut off for maintenance. Air was extracted from galleys and toilets using a different system of exhaust fans.
- Under Board of Trade safety regulations, the vessel was built, which needed sixteen lifeboats with a capacity of about 1,000 people. At the time of her completion, the Lusitania was the largest ship ever made, but it was surpassed quickly by the slightly larger Mauretania, which started operation shortly afterward.
- It was 3 feet (0.91 m) longer, 2 knots (3.7 km/h; 2.3 mph) quicker, and 10,000 gross register tons more enormous than the most recent German liner, Kronprinzessin Cecilie.
- Passenger accommodations were 50% greater than most of its rivals, with 552 saloon seats, 460 cabin seats, and 1,186 third-class seats.
- Its crew consisted of 69 people on deck, 369 people working engines and boilers, and 389 people attending to passengers. Lusitania and Mauretania possessed wireless telegraphs, electric lights, lifts, luxurious furnishings, and early air conditioning.
Germany Announces Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
- In 1914, when WWI broke out, President Woodrow Wilson declared the United States neutral, a position that most Americans supported.
- On the other hand, Britain was one of America’s most important commercial partners; between the United States and Germany, tensions erupted over the latter’s planned isolation of the British Isles.
- Several U.S. ships sailing to Britain were damaged or lost by German mines, and Germany declared unrestricted submarine warfare in oceans around Britain in February 1915.
- Several New York newspapers reported a warning from the German Embassy in Washington, D.C., in early May 1915 that Americans embarking on British or Allied vessels in war zones did so at their own risk.
- In the same section, the news advertised the upcoming return voyage of the Lusitania ship from New York to Liverpool. Following the boats sunk of merchant’s vessels off the south coast of Ireland, the British Admiralty advised the Lusitania to avoid the region or take minor evasive measures, such as swerving to confuse U-boats mapping the ship’s trajectory.
Outbreak of the First World War
- The British government financed the construction and operation costs of the Lusitania with the caveat that it may be transformed into an armed merchant cruiser (AMC) if necessary.
- A secret compartment got built to store guns and ammunition. When the war started, the British Admiralty commandeered it as an armed merchant cruiser and added it to the list of authorized AMCs.
- The Lusitania stayed on the official AMC list and, together with the Mauretania, was classified as auxiliary cruisers in the 1914 edition of Jane’s All the World’s Fighting Ships.
- Concerns for the safety of the Lusitania and other major liners were high at the commencement of the war. During the ship’s first eastbound trip after the war began, the cruise is covered in a grey color theme to conceal its identity and make it harder to spot visually.
- Many significant liners had laid up in 1914-1915, partly due to dwindling demand for transatlantic passenger travel and partly to safeguard them from damage caused by mines or other hazards. Some of the more iconic liners were employed as artillery cannons, while others got converted into hospital ships.
- Although bookings onboard the Lusitania were not exceptionally high throughout that autumn and winter, demand was high enough to prevent her in civilian service.
The Lusitania Sinks: May 7, 1915
- On May 7, 1915, the Lusitania reached the end of her 202nd journey from New York to Liverpool and was bound to dock at the Prince’s Landing Stage afternoon.
- There were 1,266 passengers and 696 staff members on board, for a total of 1,962 persons. The Lusitania was traveling parallel to Ireland’s south coast, some 11 miles (18 km) off the Old Head of Kinsale, when the liner passed in front of the U-20 at 2:10 p.m.
- Because of the liner’s high speed, some think the collision between the German U-boat and the liners was purely coincidental since U-20 would have been unable to capture the speedy vessel otherwise. There are differences in the speed of the Lusitania, which claims to be moving at less than full speed.
- Walter Schwieger, the officer in charge of the U-boat, issued the order to shoot one torpedo, which impacted the Lusitania on the port bow, close behind the wheelhouse. A second explosion exploded from beneath the hull of the Lusitania, where the torpedo had moved, and the ship started to founder considerably more quickly, with a visible list to starboard.
- Due to the ship’s multiple lists, the crew attempted to deploy the lifeboats immediately, but the sinking conditions made their use extremely hard and, in some instances, impossible. Only six of the 48 lifeboats launched successfully, with numerous others flipping and falling apart. The ship fell eighteen minutes after the torpedo hit, with the nozzles and masts being the last to depart.
- At the time of the collapse, 1,198 of the 1,962 crew and passengers aboard the Lusitania perished. In the hours following the shipwreck, acts of heroism by survivors and Irish rescues who had heard the Lusitania’s distress signals increased the survival tally to 764, three among whom eventually died from injuries incurred during the sinking.
Aftermath
- The sinking sparked widespread outrage, particularly in the United Kingdom, the British Empire, and the United States, because 128 of the 139 US nationals aboard died.
- Around May 8, Bernhard Dernburg, a former German Colonial Minister and a German spokesperson issued a statement in which he stated that because the Lusitania “carried contraband of war” and was “classified as an auxiliary cruiser,” Germany had the right to attack her regardless of any people aboard. Germany had the right to destroy it, regardless of who was on board.
- Dernburg stated that the German Embassy’s warnings before the departure and the February 18 message saying the presence of “war zones” absolved Germany of any blame for the killings of American civilians onboard. He mentioned the munitions and military supplies declared on the manifest of the Lusitania and stated that “vessels of that type” may be banned altogether under the Hague Rules.
- Public opinion in the United States was enraged; war talk was daily, and pro-German elements remained silent. The major problem was Germany’s brutal refusal to allow people to evacuate aboard lifeboats, as mandated by international law. President Woodrow Wilson hesitated to declare war immediately, preferring to discuss an end to the conflict.
- The U.S. administration hotly contested the subject in the weeks following the sinking; the U.S. and German governments received communications. German Foreign Affairs minister Von Jagow maintained that the Lusitania was a valid military target since it got designated as an armed merchant cruiser, flew neutral colors, and was instructed to ram submarines – a clear violation of the Cruiser Rules.
America Enters World War I
- By January 31, 1917, Germany proclaimed that it would start open combat in war-zone waterways to win its attrition battle against the Allies. Three days later, the United States severed international relations with Germany, and the American cruiser Housatonic was wrecked by a German U-boat mere hours after.
- Congress enacted a $250 million armaments funding measure on February 22 to prepare the United States for war.
- Germany sank four additional U.S. commerce ships in late March, prompting President Wilson to address Congress on April 2 and request a war declaration against Germany. The Senate voted on April 4 to declare war on Germany, and the House of Representatives followed suit two days later. With that, the United States joined World War I.
RMS Lusitania Worksheets
This bundle includes 18 ready-to-use RMS Lusitania worksheets that are perfect for students to learn about RMS Lusitania which was the worldβs largest passenger ship. The ship was an ocean liner owned by Great Britain but was sunk by a German submarine during the war.
This download includes the following worksheets:
- Introduction
- RMS Lusitania Facts
- First Class Career
- The Art of Lusitania
- Old-Fashioned vs. Contemporary
- Lusitanic
- Warning the Naval Community
- Advertising Manually
- Gathering the Crew
- Crew Find
- The Prize Law
- Vocabulary Check
- The Final Crossing
- Final Timeline
- Mapping the FInal Crossing
- Justifiable Circumstances?
- Quick Quiz
- Grammar and Vocabulary Challenge
- An Ode to Lusitania
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Lusitania sink so fast?
Because of the liner’s high speed, some think the collision between the German U-boat and the liners was purely coincidental since U-20 would have been unable to capture the speedy vessel otherwise. There are differences in the speed of the Lusitania, which claims to be moving at less than full speed.
Who got blamed for the sinking of Lusitania?
A German U-boat struck and sunk the RMS Lusitania.
When and where did Lusitania sink?
On May 7, 1915, the Lusitania reached the end of her 202nd journey from New York to Liverpool and was bound to dock at the Prince’s Landing Stage afternoon.
How did America enter World War I?
Germany sank four additional U.S. commerce ships in late March, prompting President Wilson to address Congress on April 2 and request a war declaration against Germany. The Senate voted on April 4 to declare war on Germany, and the House of Representatives followed suit two days later. With that, the United States joined World War I.
Why did the Germans sink the Lusitania?
The U.S. administration hotly contested the subject in the weeks following the sinking; the U.S. and German governments received communications. German Foreign Affairs minister Von Jagow maintained that the Lusitania was a valid military target since it got designated as an armed merchant cruiser, flew neutral colors, and was instructed to ram submarines – a clear violation of the Cruiser Rules.
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