Blockade
- Blockade
(March 1915-July 1919)
a "weapon" instituted by England during the first year of World War I. Retained as a concept almost by accident in the early twentieth century, it was by 1917 the preeminent weapon in the Allied arsenal. Through its refined use, including pressure on neutrals who might otherwise have traded with the Germans, the Allies managed to strangle Ger-many economically. According to Prime Minister Herbert Asquith, it was "the control of the sea by the British Navy which fed and equipped the Allies, by successive stages drained the life-blood of the enemy, and won the War" (Vin-cent).
Article 26 of the November 1918 Armistice* stipulated that "existing block-ade conditions set up by the Allied and Associated Powers are to remain un-changed, German merchant ships found at sea remaining liable to capture. The Allies and the United States contemplate the provisioning of Germany during the Armistice as shall be found necessary." Since the Armistice remained in force until July 1919, when the National Assembly* ratified the Versailles Treaty,* the blockade endured these eight months. Moreover, that portion of Article 26 "contemplating" Germany's provisioning was only activated in March, after a protracted inter-Allied quarrel over Germany's means for pur-chasing foodstuffs. Food was shipped when France belatedly accepted a policy whereby Germany could use gold reserves for food delivery in exchange for the surrender of its merchant marine, a demand added to the Armistice in January 1919.
It is impossible to judge the physical and psychological impact of continuing the blockade beyond November 1918. Although Germany's economic resilience became a source of both admiration and concern in the 1920s, its exhaustion at the conclusion of hostilities has been well documented. The post-Armistice blockade sharpened the enmity inspired by four years of trench warfare. A col-lapse of moral and legal principle, an impairment of physical and mental well-being, and a general conviction that Allied policy was based less on Wilsonian idealism than traditional power politics were the blockade's legacies.
REFERENCES:Bane and Lutz, Blockade; Bell, History of the Blockade; Keynes, "Dr. Melchior"; Offer, First World War; Siney, Allied Blockade; Vincent, Politics of Hunger.
A Historical dictionary of Germany's Weimar Republic, 1918-1933.
C. Paul Vincent.
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Blockade — bezeichnet: Blockade (Militär), beim Militär die Unterbindung der Versorgung des Gegners Blockade (Schach), beim Schachspiel eine Strategie zum Blocken der Bauern Blockade (Film), einen US amerikanischen Film über den spanischen Bürgerkrieg… … Deutsch Wikipedia
blockade — n Blockade, siege are comparable when denoting an attempt of a belligerent force to break down the resistance of the enemy by preventing egress or ingress of men or entrance of supplies over a considerable period of time. Blockade is used chiefly … New Dictionary of Synonyms
Blockade — Block*ade , n. [Cf. It. bloccata. See {Block}, v. t. ] 1. The shutting up of a place by troops or ships, with the purpose of preventing ingress or egress, or the reception of supplies; as, the blockade of the ports of an enemy. [1913 Webster]… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
blockade — [blä kād′] n. [ BLOCK + ADE] 1. a shutting off of a port or region of a belligerent state by the troops or ships of the enemy in order to prevent passage in or out in time of war 2. any blocking action designed to isolate another nation and cut… … English World dictionary
Blockade — Block*ade , v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Blockaded}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Blockading}.] 1. To shut up, as a town or fortress, by investing it with troops or vessels or war for the purpose of preventing ingress or egress, or the introduction of supplies. See… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
blockade — ► NOUN ▪ an act of sealing off a place to prevent goods or people from entering or leaving. ► VERB ▪ set up a blockade of. ● run a blockade Cf. ↑run a blockade … English terms dictionary
Blockade — (franz. Blocus, engl. Blockade, Blocking), die Absperrung eines feindlichen Ortes oder Bezirks vom Verkehr und namentlich vom Handelsverkehr durch eine kriegführende Macht. Hiernach fällt unter den Begriff der B. im weitern Sinn auch die… … Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon
blockade — I (barrier) noun bar, barricade, block, blockage, bottleneck, cordon, curb, impediment, obsessio, obsidio, obstacle, obstruction, stop, stumbling block II (enclosure) noun circumjacence, circumscription, circumvallation, compass, containment,… … Law dictionary
Blockade — Blockade, 1) B. einer Festung, das enge Einschließen einer Festung, um dieselbe von der Verbindung mit Außen abzuschließen; s.u. Festungskrieg; 2) B. eines Hafens, die B. eines feindlichen Hafens wird von Kriegsschiffen, welche vor demselben… … Pierer's Universal-Lexikon
Blockade — Blockade, in der Buchdruckerei jene Stelle im Satze, wo statt des Buchstabenbildes die untere Seite der Letter abgedruckt erscheint, ein in der Mitte getrennter schwarzer Fleck (Fliegenkopf) … Lexikon der gesamten Technik
Blockade — Blockāde, Absperrung eines Hafens oder einer Küste durch Kriegsschiffe. Die B. muß wirksam (effektiv) sein, d.h. die Ein und Ausfahrt und die Landung ständig durch Kriegsschiffe oder auch Landbatterien verhindern. Blockadebrecher, Schiffe, welche … Kleines Konversations-Lexikon
