raharris1973
Well-known member
What could plausibly cause Germany to launch & persist with USW (unrestricted submarine warfare) & send Zimmerman telegram much earlier?
Might the Germans have almost randomly or whimsically chosen to adopt their Feb 1, 1917 rules of engagement for submarines - no restrictions, free for all against all shipping, including neutrals, 6 months, a year, 18 months, 2 years earlier? Resulting in multiple successive sinkinngs of American merchant and passenger ships?
As an adjunct of such a policy shift, might the Germans have anticpated a possible US declaration of war and sent an equivalent to the Zimmerman Telegram, offering Mexico an alliance in return for attacking (and distracting) the US?
If something more than whimsy or random brainstorming among German wartime leadership is needed, what else could qualify as a plausible sufficient cause for such a decision?
Having another dozen or two dozen U-Boats on hand earlier to make an unrestricted campaign seem more worth the risk at an earlier point in time?
Having Britain and other Entente powers use more dirty tricks and tactics that exploit vulnerabilities submarines are exposed to when they follow more restrictive cruiser or identification rules, causing a rash of sub sinkings and captures?
Having pro-Unrestricted Submarine Warfare guys (like Ludendorff & Hindenburg) in charge earlier instead of guys who werent's (like Falkenhayn) for whatever objective/subjective reason - personal scandal, earlier bad news on the ground fronts in 1916 (Verdun or Romania or Somme)?
More desperation about the war in general leading to desperate searcb for silver bullet tactics?
Significantly worse surface fleet defeat leaving the Navy with less to do, less hope for the surface fleet to contribute anything?
America showing greater hostility - so it seems nothing to lose?
America protesting only mildly over early submarine incidents, or passing Gore-McLemore foreign travel ban - making it seem America would back away from danger?
Germany winning on the ground fronts but unable to reach Britain, so submarines seem the only practical tool?
Basically, would most or all plausible paths to earlier unrestricted submarine warfare adoption come from Germany doing worse in the war, or might some come from Germany doing better in the war?
Might the Germans have almost randomly or whimsically chosen to adopt their Feb 1, 1917 rules of engagement for submarines - no restrictions, free for all against all shipping, including neutrals, 6 months, a year, 18 months, 2 years earlier? Resulting in multiple successive sinkinngs of American merchant and passenger ships?
As an adjunct of such a policy shift, might the Germans have anticpated a possible US declaration of war and sent an equivalent to the Zimmerman Telegram, offering Mexico an alliance in return for attacking (and distracting) the US?
If something more than whimsy or random brainstorming among German wartime leadership is needed, what else could qualify as a plausible sufficient cause for such a decision?
Having another dozen or two dozen U-Boats on hand earlier to make an unrestricted campaign seem more worth the risk at an earlier point in time?
Having Britain and other Entente powers use more dirty tricks and tactics that exploit vulnerabilities submarines are exposed to when they follow more restrictive cruiser or identification rules, causing a rash of sub sinkings and captures?
Having pro-Unrestricted Submarine Warfare guys (like Ludendorff & Hindenburg) in charge earlier instead of guys who werent's (like Falkenhayn) for whatever objective/subjective reason - personal scandal, earlier bad news on the ground fronts in 1916 (Verdun or Romania or Somme)?
More desperation about the war in general leading to desperate searcb for silver bullet tactics?
Significantly worse surface fleet defeat leaving the Navy with less to do, less hope for the surface fleet to contribute anything?
America showing greater hostility - so it seems nothing to lose?
America protesting only mildly over early submarine incidents, or passing Gore-McLemore foreign travel ban - making it seem America would back away from danger?
Germany winning on the ground fronts but unable to reach Britain, so submarines seem the only practical tool?
Basically, would most or all plausible paths to earlier unrestricted submarine warfare adoption come from Germany doing worse in the war, or might some come from Germany doing better in the war?