Dorentina Avdija February 11, 2013 Essay: GERMAN NAVAL BLOCKLADE Mr. Harrington

Throughout World War 1 there were many revolutions that changed the world drastically. These revolutions led to great impacts on all individuals throughout the world. World War I, or “The Great War” as it was known then, was the most destructive conflict to have ever occurred on Earth. With over 15 million combatants and civilians’ dead, and nearly every world power in ruin, World War I has been classified as the second deadliest conflict in human history. The German Naval Blockade was very significant and impacted many individuals. Chief of Marine Staff Hugo von Pohl and the opposition by Alfred von Tirpitz whom warned neutral countries that shipping around the U.K. was altruistic of being sunk without any warnings by German U-Boats. A naval blockade is when a sea power blocks a port or harbor keeping other ships from coming or going. It cuts a city from receiving or sending supplies and reinforcements. The blockade of German ports starting in 1914 soon resulted in shortages of food, oil, rubber, and fertilizers, just to mention a few. Year by year things got worse and by the winter of 1918 strikes in German industries put even more pressure on the government to break the blockade or bring the war to a close. The submarine was only used against neutral and Allied shipping. While providing the submarine with strongly increased lethality and great changes of survival against it is also considered by many as a subs breach of the rules of war, especially when employed against neutral country vessels in warzone.
Unrestricted submarine warfare was a type of naval warfare in which submarines sink merchant ships without warning as oppose to attacks per prize rules. During World War 1 the Unrestricted Submarine Warfare, was used by the Germans in hopes of starving Great Britain into surrendering, it might of worked except that by using USW they were bringing the United States one step closer to joining the war because they were killing American citizens on the boats that were bringing the Great Britain food and munitions.

During World War 1 there were many formidable and sorrow times that impacted individuals. The German ‘Landser’ was full of suffering which was one way it impacted individuals during that time. The German