Download Propaganda and the Sinking of the Lusitania

Propaganda and the Sinking of the Lusitania
1. Introduce the concept of German submarine warfare as a cause of US entry into
WWI.
2. Hand out or read to students the warning issued by Germany which appeared in
New York papers, next to the Cunard departure schedule on the morning the ship
set sail (http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/eyewitness/flash.php?section=18).
Notice! Travelers intending to embark on the Atlantic voyage are reminded that a state of
war exists between Germany and her allies and Great Britain and her allies; that the zone of
war includes the waters adjacent to the British Isles; that, in accordance with formal notice
given by the Imperial German Government, vessels flying the flag of Great Britain, or any of
her allies, are liable to destruction in those waters and that travelers sailing in the war zone
on ships of Great Britain or her allies do so at their own risk. --Imperial German Embassy
3. Students will read/watch Robert Ballard’s National Geographic “The Last Voyage
of the Lusitania.”
4. Primary Source Activity: Looking at Propaganda
Place several primary sources related to the Lusitania around the room. Divide
students into small groups. Students will rotate every 15 minutes examining
each source and completing several analysis sheets.
(www.trumanlibrary.org/psource.html)
Source 1: Fred Spear “Enlist” World War I Poster (depicting woman and child
drowning) Students will complete the War Poster Analysis Sheet.
Source 2: British produced Lusitania medal (replica of the originally produced
German medal) Students will complete the Artifact Analysis Sheet.
Source 3: Song lyrics “When the Lusitania Went Down” (recording available on
www.umkc.edu/lib/spec-col/index.html) Students will complete the Multi-Media
Analysis Sheet
5. After the students complete the analysis sheets, discuss the findings and speculate
on the impact of this propaganda on America, Great Britain, and Germany.
6. Students will then examine Woodrow Wilson’s May 13, 1915 response to Germany
(http://net.lib.byu.edu/~rdh7/wwi/1915/lusitania1.html)
7. Students will read Chapter 5 “The Lusitania” from H. C. Peterson’s Propaganda for
War: The Campaigns against American Neutrality, 1914-1917.
8. Conclusion: Students will discuss their observations about propaganda and how it is
used in war. How did propaganda relating to the sinking of the Lusitania influence
the United States entry into the war? Did the Lusitania continue to be used in
propaganda after US entry? If so how?
9. Collect and grade analysis sheets.