CLEP Western Civ II

Answer: B - The Germans used submarines as part of their strategy to blockade Britain and prevent supplies from coming through. With the exception of the Battle of Jutland, the prolonged naval battles of previous eras were virtually nonexistent in World War I. Rather than directly confronting British ships, the Germans sank them with submarines, hoping to discourage other nations from supplying Britain. While this tactic was somewhat successful, it ultimately drew the United States into the war on the side of Britain. Incidents like the 1915 sinking of the Lusitania, an American passenger ship, turned American public opinion against the Germans. At the time, the Americans maintained that the Lusitania was simply a passenger ship; however, historians now recognize that it was in fact carrying supplies to England.