In the hope that the loss of American lives would bring the United States into World War 1, did Winston Churchill play a part in getting the Lusitania to carry ammunition so that it would be sunk by German u-boats?
There are a few claims circulating, ranging from indirect to direct action by Churchill.
The theory has certainly been proposed by some on the basis of a letter Churchill wrote to Walter Runciman, the president of Britain’s Board of Trade (quoted here):
It is most important to attract neutral shipping to our shores in the hope especially of embroiling the United States with Germany . . . . For our part we want the traffic — the more the better; and if some of it gets into trouble, better still.
While the conspiracy has been widely discussed, most observers prefer the "cock up" theory. Are there any grounds for suspecting a conspiracy?
