What pledge did Germany make to the United States during World War I to stop sinking ships without warning?

• A. Zimmermann Telegram
• B. Lusitania Note
• C. Sussex Pledge
• D. Fourteen Points

Answer: (C)

This question focuses on a diplomatic pledge Germany made to the United States during World War I about submarine warfare. After German U-boats began sinking ships, American concern grew about its own safety and neutrality. Following the Sussex incident in 1916, Germany promised to change tactics: they would warn ships before attacking and would not sink passenger or civilian vessels without ensuring safety. This commitment is known as the Sussex Pledge. It was an attempt to keep the United States from entering the war by restraining submarine warfare, at least temporarily. Eventually Germany resumed unrestricted submarine warfare in 1917, which helped push the U.S. toward war. The other items refer to different events: the Zimmermann Telegram was a 1917 proposal to Mexico; the Lusitania incidents relate to earlier warnings and attacks on ships; and the Fourteen Points were Wilson’s postwar principles.