How did the Sussex pledge affect relations between the United States and Germany?
1 Answer
The Sussex pledge brought a temporary delay in America entering World War I on side of the Allies.
Explanation:
When the Germans sunk a French passenger vessel called the Sussex the United States threatened to declare war on Germany.
The Germans made a pledge that Germany would not sink any more passenger ships, That Germany would not indiscriminately sink Merchant ships without verifying that the ships were carrying weapons.
The loss of life due to the sinking of the Sussex also caused Germany to promise that the safety of the crew and passengers of any ship sunk would be taken care of.
The pledge was made in May 1916 and was revoked in Jan 1917. Germany felt that by using unrestricted warfare Germany could defeat the Allies before American forces could make any significant impact.
