Starvation Blockades, The

During the First World War, Britain and Germany tried to starve each other into submission by naval blockades. Both blockades antagonised the USA. The torpedoing of the Lusitania with the heavy loss of US lives nearly brought America into the war but, when Germany relaxed its U-boat campaign, Britain's continued interference with US trade exasperated the USA. British code-breaking brought about battleship action at Jutland and the Kaiser resumed the U-boat campaign. America was finally pushed into the war.