AHC: Get the US to accept Unrestricted Submarine Warfare 1917

[Aphrodite]

What is the easiest way to get the US to turn a blind eye to Imperial Germany's use of USW? Obviously, no Zimmerman Telegram or better yet, the Americans thinking its a British forgery helps a lot, but is it enough?

The Vote was 82-6 with 8 abstentions in the Senate and 373-50 in the House. USW starts on February 1 and the US DOW isn't passed until April 2. So there's hope

 

[Riain]

Include its as part of a comprehensive sea denial campaign with surface ships openly using cruiser rules or fighting the escorts. This would make the sinking of merchant ships seem part of a larger battle and a bit of collateral damage rather than sneaky and underhanded.

This would be helped by better naval geography, holding the Pas de Calais and using forward bases on the Channel. Blockade runner trade with the US would be a further assistance, just to keep a sliver of positive relationship between the US and Germany to hold on to.

 

[DougM]

Keep the anti Germany propaganda to a dull roar. Much of the US was predisposed towards Germany but because of various German acts and even more because of the way the US media reported things and even more because of the way Britain maintained such control of what came out of Europe they had almost a monopoly on propaganda. This along with the wealthy/large companies/ financial institutions being pro England/France led to a huge anti Germany Propaganda campaign that turned much of the US against Germany.
If you avoid this bias then perhaps the US is more tolerant. As it is pretty much anything Germany did was viewed as bad vs Britain/France getting a pass on anything they did.
But the US is never going to be happy with losing ships, merchant sailors much less passengers. So somehow you have to get the US to put in place and enforce a bane on US ships, crews or passengers getting involved. And I have no idea how you can pull that off. But considering what the US did to it’s laws and citizens once war was declared in original timeline anything is possible.
Maybe if you get the Uber Rich to take a long view it would help. If the rich sit back and wait for Europe to collapse so they can move in and buy up everything for chump change vs try to exploit the war for as much money as possible they way they actually acted then perhaps we see less anti Germany bias. It is the only guess I have.

 

[weasel_airlift]

If you avoid this bias then perhaps the US is more tolerant. As it is pretty much anything Germany did was viewed as bad vs Britain/France getting a pass on anything they did.

This was mostly because the UK controlled the narrative of news that got out. If the HSF is taking a more active roll, and merchant submarines, or blockade runners are making regular dashes to the US, that narrative is getting disrupted more. Might help Germany appear the underdog, making dashes to the US to get necessities. That could be played up by a few high-profile merchants getting food/fertilizer for back home to feed starving children.

 

[RodentRevolution]

What is the easiest way to get the US to turn a blind eye to Imperial Germany's use of USW? Obviously, no Zimmerman Telegram or better yet, the Americans thinking its a British forgery helps a lot, but is it enough?

The Vote was 82-6 with 8 abstentions in the Senate and 373-50 in the House. USW starts on February 1 and the US DOW isn't passed until April 2. So there's hope

Well it all depends on how Americans feel about their countrymen, engaged upon their lawful occasions at sea being sunk without warning. If they decide they do not mind American ships being sunk randomly on their way to Brazil or Siam or Norway then obviously the US is going to be fine with it. If they object to their people being killed just for wandering into the sights of a submarine whose nation cannot be bothered to work out which ships are going where or belong to whom because it is too much effort then you have problems.

 

[Ramontxo]

On the cuestion of allied anti central powers propaganda one should remember that the whole "Belgian Rape" was not an English invention but quite real. That the USA had free newspapers ánd quite considerable sections of its society were either Anglophobic or directly pro Germany. To prevent the Ameicans entering the war even with unrestrained submarine warfare is difficult, but the whole "Mexican Option" and the Zimmerman telegram made it almost impossible. What is beyond stupid, to a level that makes Japan DoW on the USA seems reasonable, is Zimmerman himself in a moment when those Anglophobic sections of America where screaming "Perfidious Albion Forgery" giving a public declaration acknowledging the telegram...

 

[Catspoke]

Unrestricted submarine warfare has to be in particular places, i.e the North Sea, English Channel, even the entire Mediterranean. I think the USA can accept these places as being risk areas. Other places would have to be prize rules. Other places would be unrestricted except for liners. And yes the Zimmerman telegram was dumb.

 

[History Learner]

No Zimmerman Telegraph would have the U.S. accept it long enough for the decisive moment to come for the submarine offensive. Even with it, Wilson's first impulse was to pass a bill about arming merchant vessels before declaring war.