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Great Britain's economic blockade of Germany in World War I was one
of the key elements to the victory of the Entente. Though Britain
had been the leading exponent of blockades for two centuries, the
World War I blockade was not effective at the outbreak of
hostilities. Pre-war changes had led to the Admiralty supplanting
the Royal Navy's leadership role in favour of direction from the
civilian branch of government on the basis of international law.
The struggle between the primacy of international law and military
expediency lasted for nearly two years, as the British tried to
reconcile their pre-war stance as champion of neutral rights with
measures necessary for a successful blockade. Not until 1916 did
the operation have the potential to be a decisive factor in the
defeat of Germany, when pressure from France, the Royal Navy,
Parliament, British popular opinion, and the Admiralty forced the
British government to abandon its defence of neutral rights over
the interests of the state. The arrival of the United States as an
ally in April 1917 initiated the final evolution of the blockade.
The Entente and the United States tightened the blockade with
crushing effect on Germany, and by November 1918, it was evidently
one of the chief factors behind the victory. This knowledge
reinforced the decision to retain the blockade in the months
following the armistice in order to force favourable terms from
Germany. In both the war and in the peace, the economic blockade
performed a critical role in World War I.
Great Britain's economic blockade of Germany in World War I was one
of the key elements to the victory of the Entente. Though Britain
had been the leading exponent of blockades for two centuries, the
World War I blockade was not effective at the outbreak of
hostilities. Pre-war changes had led to the Admiralty supplanting
the Royal Navy's leadership role in favor of direction from the
civilian branch of government on the basis of international law.
The struggle between the primacy of international law and military
expediency lasted for nearly two years, as the British tried to
reconcile their pre-war stance as champion of neutral rights with
measures necessary for a successful blockade. Not until 1916 did
the operation have the potential to be a decisive factor in the
defeat of Germany, when pressure from France, the Royal Navy,
Parliament, British popular opinion, and the Admiralty forced the
British government to abandon its defense of neutral rights over
the interests of the state.
The arrival of the United States as an ally in April 1917 initiated
the final evolution of the blockade. The Entente and the United
States tightened the blockade with crushing effect on Germany, and
by November 1918, it was evidently one of the chief factors behind
the victory. This knowledge reinforced the decision to retain the
blockade in the months following the armistice in order to force
favorable terms from Germany. In both the war and in the peace, the
economic blockade performed a critical role in World War I.
The battle of Heligoland Bight was the first major action
between the British and German fleets during World War I. The
British orchestrated the battle as a warning to the German high
command that any attempt to operate their naval forces in the North
Sea would be met by strong British resistance. Heligoland Island
guarded the entrance to the main German naval anchorage at Kiel.
Fought on August 28, 1914, the engagement was complicated by dense
fog, the piecemeal engagement of German forces, and the unexpected
appearance in the area of additional British ships, which were hard
to distinguish from foe. Initial British damage was significant;
however, fearing that the protracted battle would allow the bulk of
the German fleet to join the battle, the British brought in their
battle cruiser reinforcements and won the day, inflicting heavy
losses on the Germans.
The battle was significant for its political and strategic
ramifications for the two sides. The Germans became reluctant to
engage large forces in an attempt to gain a decisive maritime
victory. After this defeat, any plans for large-scale fleet
operations had to be approved by the Kaiser, which hampered the
German fleet s effectiveness. This left the North Sea to Great
Britain for much of the war."
On July 4, 1991, the Arleigh Burke class of destroyers, the most
powerful surface combatants in naval history, was commissioned. It
was the culmination of a century-and-a-half evolution of the
destroyer—an evolution captured in this vivid and timely history
of the world's most popular warship. Destroyers: An Illustrated
History of Their Impact tells the story of one of the most-recent,
most-rapidly evolving additions to the world's navies. Coverage
ranges from the 1882 launch of the first destroyer, through the
nonstop technical and strategic innovations of the world war eras,
to the current high watermarks of destroyer design such as the
Arleigh Burke class (named for the navy's most-famous destroyer
squadron combat commander). With its ship-by-ship analysis, this
masterful volume shows how destroyers have continually met the
challenge of protecting naval and land operations from ever more
dangerous attacks. The book also captures the flavor of shipboard
life for officers and crew and looks at the crucial role of the
destroyer as a standard-bearing status symbol of naval might and
political intention.
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