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Dead Wake


The enthralling story of the sinking of the Lusitania by #1 New York Times ...
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Do you think Captain Schwieger and his U-20 crew were committing acts of terrorism? Does it matter that Germany ran advertisements declaring the waters around Great Britain to be a war zone?

Created: 03/20/16

Replies: 11

Posted Mar. 20, 2016 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
davinamw

Join Date: 10/15/10

Posts: 3442

Do you think Captain Schwieger and his U-20 crew were committing acts of terrorism? Does it matter that Germany ran advertisements declaring the waters around Great Britain to be a war zone?

By attacking civilian ships, do you think Captain Schwieger and his U-20 crew were committing acts of terrorism? Does it matter that Germany ran advertisements declaring the waters around Great Britain to be a war zone?


Posted Mar. 20, 2016 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Maggie

Join Date: 01/01/16

Posts: 434

RE: Do you think Captain Schwieger and his U-20 crew were committing acts of terrorism? Does it matter that Germany ran advertisements declaring the waters around Great Britain to be a war zone?

Yes this was an act of terrorism. No it did not matter that Germany was running advertisements that these waters were a war zone. This ship should not have been attacked.


Posted Mar. 22, 2016 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Silly Lotus

Join Date: 10/07/15

Posts: 15

RE: Do you think Captain Schwieger and his U-20 crew were committing acts of terrorism? Does it matter that Germany ran advertisements declaring the waters around Great Britain to be a war zone?

I agree with Maggie. It was a terrorist act regardless of whether Germany declared the area to be a war zone. i I think there is a distinction though, between legitimate targets that the U-20 crew attacked and the Lusitania that was carrying civilians from multiple countries. I realize that my argument breaks down at some point because governments have used civilians as cover for military actions.


Posted Mar. 22, 2016 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
rosienick

Join Date: 03/20/16

Posts: 27

RE: Do you think Captain Schwieger and his U-20 crew were committing acts of terrorism? Does it matter that Germany ran advertisements declaring the waters around Great Britain to be a war zone?

I think war is hell! The seas around the British Isles were a declared war zone. Those who chose to sail there were pretty much aware of the danger of being hit by a German submarine. So, although the sinking of the Lusitania was a terrible tragedy, it was an attack by Germany on its declared enemy, England.

When our twin towers were hit...this was terrorism because we were not at war with the perpetrators.


Posted Mar. 22, 2016 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
vickic

Join Date: 09/15/14

Posts: 84

RE: Do you think Captain Schwieger and his U-20 crew were committing acts of terrorism? Does it matter that Germany ran advertisements declaring the waters around Great Britain to be a war zone?

I would classify his actions as those of a terrorist because he was attacking a ship known to be carrying a huge number of innocent civilians. On the other hand, it did turn out that there were items on board meant to be used against the Germans and they did need to eliminate potential weaponry that might be used against their military.


Posted Mar. 27, 2016 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
celiaarnaud

Join Date: 04/18/12

Posts: 73

RE: Do you think Captain Schwieger and his U-20 crew were committing acts of terrorism? Does it matter that Germany ran advertisements declaring the waters around Great Britain to be a war zone?

I think this was an act of war, not terrorism. Yes, it was a passenger ship, but Britain was playing fast and loose with the conventions by using passenger ships to transport munitions.


Posted Mar. 27, 2016 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
karenp

Join Date: 04/08/12

Posts: 8

RE: Do you think Captain Schwieger and his U-20 crew were committing acts of terrorism? Does it matter that Germany ran advertisements declaring the waters around Great Britain to be a war zone?

By modern standards, it probably does cross the line into terrorism. Think of it as the equivalent of shooting down a commercial airliner. That typically isn't done in modern wars except as an accident or misidentification.


Posted Mar. 28, 2016 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
dorianbc

Join Date: 04/25/11

Posts: 33

RE: Do you think Captain Schwieger and his U-20 crew were committing acts of terrorism? Does it matter that Germany ran advertisements declaring the waters around Great Britain to be a war zone?

Are there any rules in war? As others have stated, the British were using civilian boats to benefit their war effort, and I feel the Germans did the same. They had declared that the waters were not safe, yet it was ignored. This does not justify the killing of civilians, but one of the many ugly results of war is civilian deaths.


Posted Mar. 29, 2016 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Sooz

Join Date: 07/29/14

Posts: 62

RE: Do you think Captain Schwieger and his U-20 crew were committing acts of terrorism? Does it matter that Germany ran advertisements declaring the waters around Great Britain to be a war zone?

In one sense, it was an act of terrorism but I do think that the decision of the passengers to travel through a known war zone despite the German warning was a risk each one of them chose to take. Sadly their choice ended in many lives lost due to their views that the ship would be invulnerable to any submarine attack.


Posted Mar. 29, 2016 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
katf

Join Date: 03/14/12

Posts: 6

RE: Do you think Captain Schwieger and his U-20 crew were committing acts of terrorism? Does it matter that Germany ran advertisements declaring the waters around Great Britain to be a war zone?

I agree with dorianbc statement. In addition, Capt. Schwieger did not act as a terrorist. He was following orders and you cannot decide which order you will follow. The fault lies with the British. Where was their Navy? Why was the ship moving so slow? Why was all that information kept to themselves and not told to those that would benefit? Why was the ship sailing with civilians on board?


Posted Mar. 31, 2016 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
katherinep

Join Date: 07/16/14

Posts: 374

RE: Do you think Captain Schwieger and his U-20 crew were committing acts of terrorism? Does it matter that Germany ran advertisements declaring the waters around Great Britain to be a war zone?

I agree with rosienick, celiaarnaud, dorianbc and katf. This was a war zone. This was a British ship--belonging to Germany's enemy, despite the flying of a US flag and it was carrying munitions. In war, one destroys the enemy's ships carrying munitions to one's enemies.


Posted Apr. 04, 2016 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
ylhoff

Join Date: 10/23/12

Posts: 85

RE: Do you think Captain Schwieger and his U-20 crew were committing acts of terrorism? Does it matter that Germany ran advertisements declaring the waters around Great Britain to be a war zone?

This was definitely an act of terrorism. If Schwieger had attacked a military boat or convoy, he would have been well within his rights ... warning had been given. I may be biased, but any act of war against civilian women and children is a terrorist act.


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