Ajax

About the author

Under the pseudonym “Ajax,” this author penned a stark, impassioned critique of German naval tactics during World War I. In portraying German submarine warfare as ruthlessly indiscriminate, Ajax’s writing encapsulates the Allied perspective that found such methods morally and strategically reprehensible. Blending fact, rumor, and visceral language, the work served as wartime propaganda, fanning public outrage and justifying resistance. While “The German pirate” belongs to a genre of partisan narratives shaped by conflict, it offers historians insight into how rhetorical strategies and emotive rhetoric were used to bolster national resolve and vilify the enemy during one of the 20th century’s most defining clashes.