Lusitania page 1

Lusitania page 1 by ric Gustafson


It was 3:00 pm August 3 1914. That day Germany declared war on France. Two days earlier, it had declared war on Russia. The German Chancellor at the time was Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg. This day he told a packed Reichstag that German troops were advancing into France and Belgium and Luxembourg were already occupied.
The next day, the British ambassador to Berlin Sir Edward Goschen gave Germany an ultimatum. The ultimatum was to leave Belgium alone or Britain was going to enter the war. According to the Treaty of London signed in 1839, Belgium was to be neutral.
By 1914, the navies of Britain and Germany were well established. The Secretary of State for the Imperial German navy was Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz. He was the son of a lawyer and a physicians daughter. He joined the navy because he had trouble in school. Head of the British navy was Admiral John Arbuthnot Fisher. His father was an ex army officer and his mother was a daughter of a failed wine merchant. He had great charisma, frankness and humor.
In October of 1911, Winston Churchill became first lord of the Admiralty. Kaiser Wilhelm II was the emperor of Germany and king of Prussia.
Across the Atlantic, Woodrow Wilson was in the second year of his first term. Wilson was born in December of 1856 of Scottish descent. Wilson's secretary of state was William Jennings Bryan.


research help: ' Lusitania an epic tragedy' by Diana Preston


Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric