The Lusitania

On May 7, 1915, the Lusitania was struck by a torpedo fired from a German submarine. It sank within twenty minutes, taking the lives of 1,198 people, including 128 children. The uproar following the sinking contributed to the entry of the United States into World War I. This book asserts that the Lusitania regularly carried sumuggled munitions from the United States to England, using innocent passengers as human shields. Moreover, the disaster could have been avoided had Britain sent ships to escort the liner as it entered the waters patrolled by German submarines. The controversy over what cargo the Lusitania carried, as well as the protection it should have received, has been debated by historians since its sinking.