History (
To what extent were the British culpable for the sinking of the Lusitania on May 7, 1915?
Grace Lee
February 21, 2006
IB History 2, Pd. 2
Mr. Hines
To what extent were the British culpable for the sinking of the Lusitania on May 7, 1915?
Part A: Plan of Investigation
The Lusitania was one of a pair of huge, fast, and technologically advanced luxury liners that were created by the Cunard Line of Britain for use as passenger ships, but which could be easily converted into warships[1]. During World War I, the Lusitania continued its regular voyages across the Atlantic Ocean, sparking rumors that it was carrying illicit munitions from America to Great Britain. On May 7, 1915, the German submarine U-20 sank the Lusitania off the coast of Ireland, killing 1,195 people, including 123 Americans[2]. However, controversy surrounds the factors that led the Germans to sink the Lusitania. To what extent were the British culpable for the sinking of the Lusitania? Some historians theorize that Winston Churchill, First Lord of the British Admiralty, purposefully provoked the Germans to sink the Lusitania. For example, Churchill commissioned a report to determine how other nations would react to the German sinking of a passenger ship, and he ordered British ships to be threatening so that passengers would not be allowed to disembark before the ship was sunk[3]. Other historians believe that British culpability was minimal and the sinking was primarily due to Germany’s desire for military and naval superiority. This investigation will cover Britain’s alleged involvement in the plot through a comparative study of Lusitania: An Epic Tragedy, by Diana Preston, and The Lusitania: Finally, the Startling Truth about One of the Most Fateful of All Disasters of the Sea, by Colin Simpson. Most of the research will be from books written by modern historians, either on the Lusitania in particular or on infamous ship disasters
Grace Lee
February 21, 2006
IB History 2, Pd. 2
Mr. Hines
To what extent were the British culpable for the sinking of the Lusitania on May 7, 1915?
Part A: Plan of Investigation
The Lusitania was one of a pair of huge, fast, and technologically advanced luxury liners that were created by the Cunard Line of Britain for use as passenger ships, but which could be easily converted into warships[1]. During World War I, the Lusitania continued its regular voyages across the Atlantic Ocean, sparking rumors that it was carrying illicit munitions from America to Great Britain. On May 7, 1915, the German submarine U-20 sank the Lusitania off the coast of Ireland, killing 1,195 people, including 123 Americans[2]. However, controversy surrounds the factors that led the Germans to sink the Lusitania. To what extent were the British culpable for the sinking of the Lusitania? Some historians theorize that Winston Churchill, First Lord of the British Admiralty, purposefully provoked the Germans to sink the Lusitania. For example, Churchill commissioned a report to determine how other nations would react to the German sinking of a passenger ship, and he ordered British ships to be threatening so that passengers would not be allowed to disembark before the ship was sunk[3]. Other historians believe that British culpability was minimal and the sinking was primarily due to Germany’s desire for military and naval superiority. This investigation will cover Britain’s alleged involvement in the plot through a comparative study of Lusitania: An Epic Tragedy, by Diana Preston, and The Lusitania: Finally, the Startling Truth about One of the Most Fateful of All Disasters of the Sea, by Colin Simpson. Most of the research will be from books written by modern historians, either on the Lusitania in particular or on infamous ship disasters