Jason Collings's Blog - Posts Tagged "wwi"
All Things Weimar - The Allied Naval Blockade
Starving the Giant: How Britain's Naval Blockade Helped Win WWI
In Prussian Blue we find a world where a can of coffee beans is the greatest of treasures, where resentment over cake might be enough to kill, where the poor starve in the streets, and substitute/ersatz products are the norm. Here we take a look at the history behind these images.
When we think of World War I, we picture muddy trenches and barbed wire. But perhaps the most devastating weapon of the war never fired a shot: Britain's naval blockade of Germany, which slowly strangled the Central Powers into submission.
Why Blockade Germany?
Britain entered the war with one massive advantage: the Royal Navy, the world's most powerful fleet. Germany's geographical position made it vulnerable - to reach the Atlantic, German ships had to pass through narrow waters controlled by Britain. The British strategy was brutally simple: cut Germany off from the world and watch it wither.
The blockade began in August 1914, just days after war was declared. Britain declared the entire North Sea a military area and used its fleet to intercept ships heading to German ports. This wasn't just about stopping weapons - it meant blocking food, fertilizer, cotton, oil, and countless other goods that Germany needed to survive.
The Tightening Noose
The effects were devastating. By 1916, Germany's food situation had become critical. The average German civilian's calorie intake plummeted from around 3,000 calories per day before the war to just 1,000 by 1917 - barely enough to survive. Meat consumption fell by half, and during the "Turnip Winter" of 1916-17, Germans were forced to survive on little more than turnips after a terrible potato harvest.
The statistics paint a grim picture. Historians estimate that approximately 424,000 German civilians died from starvation and malnutrition-related diseases during the war, with many more left permanently weakened, and thereby vulnerable to disease. Children were particularly affected - tuberculosis rates soared, and an entire generation grew up malnourished, with lasting health consequences.
Life Behind the Blockade
For ordinary Germans, the blockade meant constant hunger. Housewives queued for hours for a loaf of 'Kriegbrot' ('war bread') - a heavy, dark mixture containing potato flour, sawdust, and ground straw. Ersatz- (substitute) products became a way of life: coffee made from acorns and chicory, tea from leaves and twigs, butter from coal tar derivatives.
The psychological impact was crushing. While soldiers fought abroad, their families starved. This eroded morale on the front lines as troops received desperate letters from home. The blockade became a powerful propaganda tool for Germany, but it also bred resentment and distrust of those in power, which would have lasting consequences for German politics.
The Path to Victory
The blockade proved decisive in Germany's defeat. By 1918, the German military was still formidable, but the home front was collapsing. Industrial production faltered without raw materials. Civilian morale crumbled under constant deprivation. When the German army launched its final offensive in spring 1918, soldiers who had been told that their enemies were suffering just as they were, discovered well-stocked Allied trenches and realized the awful truth.
To enforce Germany's compliance the blockade was continued even after the Armistice in November 1918. It was only lifted once Germany signed the Treaty of Versailles in June 1919. This extension caused tremendous bitterness - an estimated 100,000 more Germans died during these months of 'peace.'
Britain's naval blockade demonstrated that modern war wasn't just won on battlefields. By targeting an entire nation's ability to sustain itself, it became one of history's most effective - and controversial - military strategies, and undoubtedly one of the most important factors in bringing the Great War to its conclusion.
In Prussian Blue we find a world where a can of coffee beans is the greatest of treasures, where resentment over cake might be enough to kill, where the poor starve in the streets, and substitute/ersatz products are the norm. Here we take a look at the history behind these images.
When we think of World War I, we picture muddy trenches and barbed wire. But perhaps the most devastating weapon of the war never fired a shot: Britain's naval blockade of Germany, which slowly strangled the Central Powers into submission.
Why Blockade Germany?
Britain entered the war with one massive advantage: the Royal Navy, the world's most powerful fleet. Germany's geographical position made it vulnerable - to reach the Atlantic, German ships had to pass through narrow waters controlled by Britain. The British strategy was brutally simple: cut Germany off from the world and watch it wither.
The blockade began in August 1914, just days after war was declared. Britain declared the entire North Sea a military area and used its fleet to intercept ships heading to German ports. This wasn't just about stopping weapons - it meant blocking food, fertilizer, cotton, oil, and countless other goods that Germany needed to survive.
The Tightening Noose
The effects were devastating. By 1916, Germany's food situation had become critical. The average German civilian's calorie intake plummeted from around 3,000 calories per day before the war to just 1,000 by 1917 - barely enough to survive. Meat consumption fell by half, and during the "Turnip Winter" of 1916-17, Germans were forced to survive on little more than turnips after a terrible potato harvest.
The statistics paint a grim picture. Historians estimate that approximately 424,000 German civilians died from starvation and malnutrition-related diseases during the war, with many more left permanently weakened, and thereby vulnerable to disease. Children were particularly affected - tuberculosis rates soared, and an entire generation grew up malnourished, with lasting health consequences.
Life Behind the Blockade
For ordinary Germans, the blockade meant constant hunger. Housewives queued for hours for a loaf of 'Kriegbrot' ('war bread') - a heavy, dark mixture containing potato flour, sawdust, and ground straw. Ersatz- (substitute) products became a way of life: coffee made from acorns and chicory, tea from leaves and twigs, butter from coal tar derivatives.
The psychological impact was crushing. While soldiers fought abroad, their families starved. This eroded morale on the front lines as troops received desperate letters from home. The blockade became a powerful propaganda tool for Germany, but it also bred resentment and distrust of those in power, which would have lasting consequences for German politics.
The Path to Victory
The blockade proved decisive in Germany's defeat. By 1918, the German military was still formidable, but the home front was collapsing. Industrial production faltered without raw materials. Civilian morale crumbled under constant deprivation. When the German army launched its final offensive in spring 1918, soldiers who had been told that their enemies were suffering just as they were, discovered well-stocked Allied trenches and realized the awful truth.
To enforce Germany's compliance the blockade was continued even after the Armistice in November 1918. It was only lifted once Germany signed the Treaty of Versailles in June 1919. This extension caused tremendous bitterness - an estimated 100,000 more Germans died during these months of 'peace.'
Britain's naval blockade demonstrated that modern war wasn't just won on battlefields. By targeting an entire nation's ability to sustain itself, it became one of history's most effective - and controversial - military strategies, and undoubtedly one of the most important factors in bringing the Great War to its conclusion.
SUNDAY QUIZ: WEIMAR BERLIN 1919 “WHAT WOULD YOU DO?”
Berlin, 1919. The empire has fallen, strikers are on the streets, and a new democracy is being born under fire. In early Weimar Germany… what role would YOU play?
Take our 7-question quiz. Let us know what you would have done in the comments:
How to play:
1. Pick A/B/C/D for each question.
2. Tally which letter you chose most often.
3. Comment with your result and share one choice you’re proud/ashamed of.
Question 1:
The Armistice just ended the war. Parliament is rushing to write a new constitution. You say:
A) “Stability first—get a government working now.”
B) “Democracy first—give power to the workers councils.”
C) “Security first—use the army to restore order.”
D) “Keep calm and count the votes—I’ll organize quietly.”
Question 2:
A general strike erupts in Berlin. Your first move?
A) Negotiate a ceasefire and elections.
B) Declare solidarity with the strikers and publish a fiery leaflet.
C) Use volunteer paramilitaries to crush it.
D) Keep the trams and food supply running.
Question 3:
The Treaty of Versailles lands on your desk, without any input from Germany. It's terms are punitive and unfair.
A) Sign to save the state; hope to renegotiate later.
B) Reject it at once—mass action over humiliation.
C) Refuse to sign, and prepare for a showdown.
D) Accept the legal reality; start rebuilding.
Question 4:
Crisis are coming thick and fast and there are plenty in the media making it worse. Do you bring in censorship or allow a free-for-all press?
A) Temporary limits to stop violence, then free press again.
B) Free press, even for dangerous ideas.
C) Silence the agitators, smash the presses
D) Establish fact-checking and public bulletins. Licence newspapers and sanction them for inaccuracies.
Question 5:
Street fighting breaks out near the newspaper district.
A) Broker a truce and call in loyal police.
B) Barricade the street and rally paramilitary supporters.
C) Clear it with force—no hesitation.
D) Evacuate civilians and set up aid posts.
Question 6:
Women vote nationwide for the first time. What’s your stance?
A) Celebrate—democracy needs everyone.
B) Women leaders should spearhead the movement. Men have had their say, and look where it got us!
C) Doesn’t change the power equation, and it it looks like it might, there's still the army.
D) Register voters, run candidates, mind the details. Leave the philosophy to others.
Question 7:
A coup in Berlin attempt tries to topple the republic (again).
A) Call a general strike against the putschists.
B) Occupy ministries and broadcast resistance.
C) Side with the forces of strength and tradition—order above all.
D) Leave it to play out and in the meantime, keep services alive so the city doesn’t collapse.
Who are you? (majority letter = result)
Mostly A — The Pragmatist (e.g. Franz Ebert - President of the Republic): You’ll bargain, secure elections, and hold the centre when everything’s on fire. You'll find a way through, but it requires making deals with the devil, and making enemies of everyone eventually.
Mostly B — The Firebrand (e.g. Rosa Luxemburg): You push radical democracy and mass action—no half-measures. The people have been oppressed for too long, equality and democracy, in politics and wealth is the goal. Sadly this means everyone with anything to lose - the wealthy, the powerful and the army - hate you!
Mostly C — The Iron Fist (e.g. General von Luttwitz): You prize order and hierarchy above all, even at the republic’s expense. If the army is constrained, build a new one in the shadows and call it something else - like the 'Freikorps'. Prussia has always been a military controlling a state, not the other way around - that's just how it should be!
Mostly D — The Organizer (e.g. Countless nameless Imperial Civil-Servants): You’re the backbone—logistics, ballots, bread, and trams on time, that's what matters. Ideology is for those who can afford it, or those with nothing to lose. Most people just want food, heating, transport, and maybe a drink at the end of the day.
So, who are you?
What was the question you agonized over the most?
Tag a history nerd who’ll argue with you.
Take our 7-question quiz. Let us know what you would have done in the comments:
How to play:
1. Pick A/B/C/D for each question.
2. Tally which letter you chose most often.
3. Comment with your result and share one choice you’re proud/ashamed of.
Question 1:
The Armistice just ended the war. Parliament is rushing to write a new constitution. You say:
A) “Stability first—get a government working now.”
B) “Democracy first—give power to the workers councils.”
C) “Security first—use the army to restore order.”
D) “Keep calm and count the votes—I’ll organize quietly.”
Question 2:
A general strike erupts in Berlin. Your first move?
A) Negotiate a ceasefire and elections.
B) Declare solidarity with the strikers and publish a fiery leaflet.
C) Use volunteer paramilitaries to crush it.
D) Keep the trams and food supply running.
Question 3:
The Treaty of Versailles lands on your desk, without any input from Germany. It's terms are punitive and unfair.
A) Sign to save the state; hope to renegotiate later.
B) Reject it at once—mass action over humiliation.
C) Refuse to sign, and prepare for a showdown.
D) Accept the legal reality; start rebuilding.
Question 4:
Crisis are coming thick and fast and there are plenty in the media making it worse. Do you bring in censorship or allow a free-for-all press?
A) Temporary limits to stop violence, then free press again.
B) Free press, even for dangerous ideas.
C) Silence the agitators, smash the presses
D) Establish fact-checking and public bulletins. Licence newspapers and sanction them for inaccuracies.
Question 5:
Street fighting breaks out near the newspaper district.
A) Broker a truce and call in loyal police.
B) Barricade the street and rally paramilitary supporters.
C) Clear it with force—no hesitation.
D) Evacuate civilians and set up aid posts.
Question 6:
Women vote nationwide for the first time. What’s your stance?
A) Celebrate—democracy needs everyone.
B) Women leaders should spearhead the movement. Men have had their say, and look where it got us!
C) Doesn’t change the power equation, and it it looks like it might, there's still the army.
D) Register voters, run candidates, mind the details. Leave the philosophy to others.
Question 7:
A coup in Berlin attempt tries to topple the republic (again).
A) Call a general strike against the putschists.
B) Occupy ministries and broadcast resistance.
C) Side with the forces of strength and tradition—order above all.
D) Leave it to play out and in the meantime, keep services alive so the city doesn’t collapse.
Who are you? (majority letter = result)
Mostly A — The Pragmatist (e.g. Franz Ebert - President of the Republic): You’ll bargain, secure elections, and hold the centre when everything’s on fire. You'll find a way through, but it requires making deals with the devil, and making enemies of everyone eventually.
Mostly B — The Firebrand (e.g. Rosa Luxemburg): You push radical democracy and mass action—no half-measures. The people have been oppressed for too long, equality and democracy, in politics and wealth is the goal. Sadly this means everyone with anything to lose - the wealthy, the powerful and the army - hate you!
Mostly C — The Iron Fist (e.g. General von Luttwitz): You prize order and hierarchy above all, even at the republic’s expense. If the army is constrained, build a new one in the shadows and call it something else - like the 'Freikorps'. Prussia has always been a military controlling a state, not the other way around - that's just how it should be!
Mostly D — The Organizer (e.g. Countless nameless Imperial Civil-Servants): You’re the backbone—logistics, ballots, bread, and trams on time, that's what matters. Ideology is for those who can afford it, or those with nothing to lose. Most people just want food, heating, transport, and maybe a drink at the end of the day.
So, who are you?
What was the question you agonized over the most?
Tag a history nerd who’ll argue with you.
