Minister of Blockade facts for kids

In the early 1900s, Britain was a very powerful country. It had a huge navy and many colonies around the world. For almost 100 years, Europe had been mostly peaceful. But then, World War I began, and it caught the British Empire off guard.

As Britain built up its army, one of its first big moves was to create a naval blockade against Germany. This meant stopping ships from reaching Germany by sea. The blockade was not popular in the United States, but it was very important for Britain's war effort.

The job of Minister of Blockade was created to manage this effort. It came from combining different government departments in 1914. Their goal was to get England ready for a big war in Europe. One of the first groups they formed was the Contraband Department. In 1916, this department became the Ministry of Blockade. This new ministry was in charge of stopping goods from reaching Germany by both land and sea.

Lord Robert Cecil and the Blockade

The Minister of Blockade was a special job held by Lord Robert Cecil from 1916 to 1918. His main task was to make sure the economic blockade against Germany worked. Lord Robert Cecil was the only person to lead this ministry during its two years.

The blockade stopped food and supplies from reaching Germany. It's thought that this trade ban led to the deaths of about 500,000 German civilians. This was one of the reasons Germany asked for peace in 1918. While many soldiers died on the Western Front, the blockade was seen as a success for Britain before 1918.

Before World War I, the British had sometimes talked about blocking Germany if there was a conflict. But it wasn't until February 23, 1916, that Prime Minister H. H. Asquith officially created the Ministry of Blockade. This was 18 months after the war had started. The blockade was greatly helped by a secret British intelligence group called Room 40. They had captured German code books in 1914, which gave them important information.

To make the blockade work, neutral countries (those not fighting in the war) were pressured to say what goods their ships were carrying. Ships heading for Germany were stopped and their cargo was taken. Germany usually produced most of its own raw materials. However, it imported a lot of its food. Because of the blockade, Germany had to start a food rationing program. But the food problem only got worse over time.

Lord Cecil also had an important idea in 1918. He suggested that the Allies should take over Dutch shipping companies. This helped transport American soldiers to France during a very important time in the war. This move helped the Allies win the war.

Blockade Against Greece

In June 1916, the British also used a type of pacific blockade against Greece. This was because Greece seemed to support Germany. This blockade was lifted a year later when King Constantine was replaced by his son, Alexander.

The Treaty of Versailles

After President Wilson announced his 14 Points on January 8, 1918, the ideas of a Blockade, Freedom of the Seas, and Belligerent Rights became very important. President Wilson made his announcement without telling the Allies first. British Prime Minister Lloyd George disagreed with Point number two, which called for "Absolute Freedom of Navigation" for all countries. This was because the blockade of Germany went against that idea.

After the Allies won the war, the 14 Points became less important. Instead, the The Treaty of Versailles was signed in June 1919.

Blockades Today

Today, using a naval blockade against a country is against the rules of the Geneva Convention. However, the United States did enforce a temporary blockade against Cuba in 1962. It also continues to have an economic blockade against Cuba.

More to Read

• Internet Archive: Link
• Encyclopædia Britannica: "Blockade" on-line citation
• International Encyclopedia of the First World War: "Freedom of the Seas" on-line citation
• UK National Archives, CAB 24-46 (pgs. 6-10 of 343)
• Lloyd George, David, "The Truth About the Peace Treaties, Vol. I", pgs. 76-79
• The British Blockade During World War I: The Weapon of Deprivation: Link
• A list of historical blockades
• Germany's need for imports: Link