Lusitania Sinks: US Turns Against Germany
A German U-boat torpedo struck the RMS Lusitania off the coast of Ireland on May 7, 1915, sinking the Cunard liner in just 18 minutes and killing 1,198 of 1,959 passengers and crew. Among the dead were 128 Americans. Germany had published warnings in American newspapers before the sailing, and the ship was carrying 4.2 million rounds of Remington .303 rifle cartridges in her cargo hold, technically making her a legitimate military target. Captain William Turner had reduced speed in a fog bank and was sailing a straight course instead of zigzagging as Admiralty instructions required. The sinking outraged American public opinion and was a critical factor in the United States' eventual entry into World War I two years later.
May 7, 1915
111 years ago
Key Figures & Places
Germany
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RMS
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World War I
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submarine
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German Empire
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U-20
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RMS Lusitania
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World War I
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Submarine
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SM U-20 (Germany)
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Sinking of the RMS Lusitania
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RMS Lusitania
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German Empire
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Imperial German Navy
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Irish Sea
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Ocean liner
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Germany
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British
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Versailles, Yvelines
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Treaty of Versailles
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Kabinett Scheidemann
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Central Powers
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Geschichte Rumäniens
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Alexandru Marghiloman
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Romania in World War I
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Friede von Bukarest (1918)
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Triple Entente
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Dobroudja
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Histoire de la Bulgarie
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Austria-Hungary
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