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During the First World War, Britain intended to use its powerful navy to starve Germany and Austria-Hungary into submission. By maintaining a blockade of enemy ports it hoped to cut off supplies from the outside world. The consequences of this strategy were complex.
What was the main purpose of the blockade?
During the Civil War, Union forces established a blockade of Confederate ports designed to prevent the export of cotton and the smuggling of war materiel into the Confederacy.
Are naval blockades legal?
Naval blockades are acts of war under international law, so one country may legally blockade another only if it is acting in individual or collective self-defense—the standard requirements for going to war—or the U.N. Security Council has proclaimed the action necessary to maintain international peace.
What does naval blockade mean?
the interdiction of a nation’s lines of communication at sea by the use of naval power. type of: blockade, encirclement. a war measure that isolates some area of importance to the enemy.
The Blockade of Germany, or the Blockade of Europe, occurred from 1914 to 1919. It was a prolonged naval operation conducted by the Allied Powers, especially Great Britain, during and after World War I to restrict the maritime supply of goods to the Central Powers, which included Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Turkey.
How did blockade work?
During the Civil War, the Union attempted to blockade the southern states. A blockade meant that they tried to prevent any goods, troops, and weapons from entering the southern states. By doing this, the Union thought they could cause the economy of the Confederate States to collapse.
What is a naval blockade?
Naval blockades, imposed by surface or submarine fleets or by mines, were part of broader economic warfare, as had often been employed in history. Economic warfare means all the measures designed to weaken the enemy’s economy.
What was the impact of the naval blockade on Germany?
By 1915, German imports had fallen by 55% from pre-war levels. Aside from causing shortages in important raw materials such as coal and various non-ferrous metals, the blockade cut off fertiliser supplies that were vital to German agriculture.