The War at Sea and Jutland

The war at sea played a crucial role in the First World War. Control of the seas was essential for maintaining trade routes, supplying armies, and blockading the enemy. This lesson covers the naval strategies of Britain and Germany, the Battle of Jutland, the German U-boat campaign, and the impact of naval warfare on the course of the war.

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Naval Strategies

British Strategy: Blockade

Britain's primary naval strategy was to use its powerful Royal Navy to blockade Germany — preventing ships from reaching German ports with food, raw materials, and other supplies.

Aspect	Detail
How it worked	The Royal Navy patrolled the North Sea and the English Channel, intercepting ships heading for German ports
Impact on Germany	Severe shortages of food and raw materials. By 1918, around 750,000 German civilians died as a result of malnutrition and related diseases caused by the blockade
Effectiveness	The blockade slowly strangled the German economy and undermined civilian morale

German Strategy: U-boats