The doom of apple

The Ethics of War

Unrestricted submarine warfare is often considered a shady practice in a time of war. Unrestricted submarine warfare is when one country sets up an area that is declared a war-zone, any ships that enter this zone, military or civilian, will be fired upon without warning. Is this right? In my essay, I will weigh the pros and cons of this tactic used by the German’s in WWI.

The practice of unrestricted warfare cost the lives of many innocent people. No warning is given so there is no chance to surrender or abandon ship! And foremost, unrestricted submarine warfare violates the so-called rules of war. In the case of the Lucitania, it was believed to be carrying supplies (this was true) and the ship could have later become a threat to Germany if converted into a war or transport ship. But, at the time, the ship or its 2000 passengers were not a threat to U-20, yet the Lucitiana was sunk without warning and with massive losses.

Unrestricted submarine warfare is a very shady, but effective tactic, nonetheless. When implemented, little to no supplies reach your enemies, this gives a tactical strangle hold on a war. Why is no warring given on civilian ships? To a U-boat stealth and surprise are its only defenses. Once a U-boat reveals itself, it is open to ramming and attack thus endangering the crew. In most cases, keeping your troops safe comes above keeping the enemies safe. Why would someone need to attack a civilian ship anyway? Because they may be carrying supplies. To say unrestricted submarine warfare violates the “rules” of war then why is the opposition violating the “rules” by putting troops and supplies on a civilian ship making it a target of submarines? Using the lives of innocent people as a shield to protect supplies is just as bad as firing on an unarmed ship without warning.

Is unrestricted submarine warfare right? In my opinion a submarine must give civilian ships a chance to abandon ship. A submarine does not need to expose itself to send a warning, send a radio ultimatum, and then a warning shot. How much of a treat could a passenger ship pose anyway?