I'm curious about the WWI blockade. In particular it is said that the blockade of Germany caused great problems, especially lack of food. On the other hand Germany was right next to Denmark and Holland. The Dutch in particular have impressive port capacity, and it is hard to imagine food imports being cut off to Denmark and Holland. (I also believe Hoover was head of importing food to occupied Belgium.) So I wonder how much of an issue the blockade really was vs. perhaps some German policies that made trade / imports difficult. On the other hand the British blockade system clearly did work to control what went to neutral ports, but it is not clear how this would be implemented to control food as anything imported for neutrals or Belgium could be sold to Germany.
How exactly did the British prevent exports in to neutrals, especially food?
Was it in fact German policies that hobbled importation from neutrals, especially food?
I asked a Professor and he said.
>> I know about it but am not an expert. Best book is Avner Offer, The First World War: an Agrarian Interpretation. The British official history of the blockade by A. C. Bell is also useful. Short answer is that it was pretty effective by the end but there were big leaks via the neutrals (especially Holland) until 1916. After the US entered the war the system became much more watertight. The food shortage in Germany by 1918 was very serious (and worse in Austria-Hungary), but this was not just due to the blockade: also diversion of manpower from agriculture, etc. The blockade may have done most damage by cutting off imports of fertilisers.
A very interesting question.
It promted me to do some googling and this site claims the Netherlands was subject to the blockade as well.
http://histclo.com/essay/war/ww1/sea/w1s-block.html
Very ironic when you considered Britain joined the war because Germany did not respect neutrality of Belgium.