The North Atlantic Triangle and the blockade, 1914–1915

Abstract

The British blockade of Germany, and its effects on neutral shipping, was a major issue in Anglo-American relations during the early part of the First World War. From the British point of view it was an obvious necessity to prevent supplies from the USA reaching Germany whereas from the US Government's perspective this strategy infringed American rights and the principle of the freedom of the seas. As tensions grew over this issue in the early months of the war Canada played an important role in ameliorating the effects of the British blockade on American shipping and thereby underlined the growing significance of the ‘North Atlantic Triangle’ in Anglo-American relations.