Germany has only one outlet to the oceans of the world and that is the North Sea.
A glance at a map of the area shows the British Isles blocking the western exits of that sea.
In WW1 Britain installed minefields and steel nets to try to block the southern exit, the English Channel. The larger northern exit was patrolled by warships and a series of minefields were planned as far east as Norway which were almost finished by the end of the war.
Hunger in the Central PowersThis was caused by the Entente naval blockade. Germany, for its part, also blockaded Britain. If Germany had not had an advanced chemical industry able to produce artificial fertilizers in large quantities, the situation would have been much worse.
the assasination of arch duke Franz Ferdinand and the British blockade
Verdun, Somme, Jutland(Naval).
Germany's navy in World War I, known as the Hochseeflotte, was formidable but ultimately underutilized. It boasted advanced ships and technology, including dreadnought battleships, but was constrained by strategic decisions and the British naval blockade. Major engagements like the Battle of Jutland in 1916 showcased its strength, yet the fleet's inability to break British control of the seas limited its effectiveness throughout the war. Ultimately, the naval force did not achieve its strategic objectives, contributing to Germany's defeat.
At the British naval base at Scapa Flow in Scotland.
naval blockade
The First World War - 2003 Blockade 1-7 was released on: USA: 2003
During World War I, the Germans implemented a naval blockade against Great Britain starting in February 1915. This blockade aimed to restrict Britain's access to essential supplies and resources, utilizing U-boats (submarines) to target merchant ships. The blockade intensified throughout the war, contributing to significant food shortages and economic strain in Britain.
In World War I, the Germans used submarines mainly to create a Submarine Blockade on Britain in an attempt to starve Britain out of the war. This blockade is similar to the Naval Blockade Britain used on Germany, but was not as effective, and Germany stopped halfway through the war. However, towards the end of the war when Germany was losing, they restarted the 'unrestricted submarine blockade', which accidentally sunk an American passenger ship. This angered America, leading to America's participation in the war, and the ultimate defeat of Germany.
a prolonged naval operation conducted by the allied powers during and after world war 1 in effort to restrict the supply of raw materials to central powers.
The U-Boat which is short for Unterseeboot. They were particularly effective in enforcing the trading blockade by performing commerce raids on enemy shipments.
Jutland is the only significant naval battle or World War I
The North Sea
The BATTLE OF JUTLAND was the largest naval battle in World War I.
Hunger in the Central PowersThis was caused by the Entente naval blockade. Germany, for its part, also blockaded Britain. If Germany had not had an advanced chemical industry able to produce artificial fertilizers in large quantities, the situation would have been much worse.
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.
U-Boats