The Crown Council meeting on 9 January 1917 authorised unrestricted submarine warfare, a decision that contributed directly to the United States entering World War I.
Key Facts
- Date of meeting
- 9 January 1917
- Presiding authority
- Kaiser Wilhelm II
- Policy announced to US
- 31 January 1917
- Policy commenced
- 1 February 1917
- US declaration of war on Germany
- 6 April 1917
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The German military had proposed resuming unrestricted submarine warfare in 1916, arguing it could starve Britain into defeat by sinking large volumes of shipping. Chancellor Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg opposed the policy, fearing it would draw neutral powers, especially the United States, into the war against Germany.
Kaiser Wilhelm II presided over a Crown Council meeting on 9 January 1917 to resolve the dispute. Military leaders Henning von Holtzendorff and Paul von Hindenburg argued that unrestricted submarine warfare would knock Britain out of the war before any American intervention could become decisive. The council ultimately decided to resume the policy.
The policy was announced to the United States on 31 January 1917 and took effect the following day. Although German sinkings initially rose, Britain's adoption of a convoy system reduced the strategy's impact. The resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare was a principal factor in the American declaration of war on Germany on 6 April 1917.