Britain and the strategy of the economic weapon in the war against Germany, 1914-1919
The thesis seeks to examine practices of British economic warfare towards Germany during the First World War. In particular it focuses on the development of methods to weaken the German will for war by convincing Germany that winning, a military victory would be pointless if it destroyed her commercial position. In doing so it brings together two separate elements of British economic warfare -trade war and control of raw materials - into a single strategy with a unified aim. It explores British attempts to destroy Germany's foreign trade organisation in order to induce German commercial interests to end to the war through fear of losing post-war markets. However, in attempting this Britain was hampered by wartime conditions which interrupted the provision of shipping, capital and goods needed to make the policy a permanent success. Many Germans believed their production and marketing methods would enable them to reclaim their share of world trade after the war. This was providing there was no punitive post-war penalisation of German trade. In June 1916 the Allies met in Pans to outline such a plan which involved the creation of an economic bloc to isolate Germany from the world trading system. At this point
Smith, Richard Alexander
Blockade; Trade; Exports; Military
Britain and the strategy of the economic weapon in the war against Germany, 1914-1919. The thesis seeks to examine practices of British economic warfare towards Germany during the First World War. In particular it focuses on the development of methods to weaken the German will for war by convincing Germany that winning, a military victory would be pointless if it destroyed her commercial position. In doing so it brings together two separate elements of British economic warfare -trade war and control of raw materials - into a single strategy with a unified aim. It explores British attempts to destroy Germany's foreign trade organisation in order to induce German commercial interests to end to the war through fear of losing post-war markets. However, in attempting this Britain was hampered by wartime conditions which interrupted the provision of shipping, capital and goods needed to make the policy a permanent success. Many Germans believed their production and marketing methods would enable them to reclaim their share of world trade after the war. This was providing there was no punitive post-war penalisation of German trade. In June 1916 the Allies met in Pans to outline such a plan which involved the creation of an economic bloc to isolate Germany from the world trading system. At this point
britain strategy economic weapon war germany seek_examine practice british economic warfare towards germany first_world_war particular_focus development method weaken german war convince germany military victory would destroyed commercial position brings_together two_separate element british economic warfare trade war control raw_material single strategy unified aim explores british attempt destroy germany foreign_trade organisation order induce german commercial_interest end_war fear lose post_war market however attempt britain hamper wartime condition interrupt provision shipping capital good need make policy permanent success many germans believe production marketing method would enable reclaim share world trade war provide punitive post_war german trade meet outline plan involve_creation economic bloc isolate germany world trading system point