British and German Naval Policy.doc - British and German...

British and German Naval Policy
When war broke out between Germany and England in 1914 both should have
followed international law that set the rules for what actions countries could take
while at war. Because of the geographic situation we have discussed both
countries chose to ignore those laws. Read the following description and decide
how you think the United States should react to the situation.
International Law (“Freedom of the Seas”) - Specific rules:
1. Belligerents (countries at war) are allowed to stop and inspect neutral
ships.
2. Belligerents may seize any contraband (weapons for war)
3. If a cargo ship is going to be sunk the attackers must give warning to
ensure the safety of passengers.
British violations of international law-
The British goal was to cut off all trade to Germany and slowly starve the country
into submission. They were “ruling the waves and waiving the rules” in order
to use their naval superiority and geographic advantage to win the war. They
took the following actions:
1. They included food as contraband.