The Sinking of the RMS Lusitania was an event that happened on May 7, 1915 during World War I. The sinking was caused by a torpedo from a German ship while Germany was at war with the United Kingdom. Of all 1,959 on board, 1,198 people were dead and 761 people survived. It was perpetrated by Walther Schwieger, who had sunk 48 other ships. As of a result, Schwieger was condemned as a war criminal in the allied press for this event.