Blockade

Britain’s naval blockade restricted supplies reaching German ports. Food became scarce and rationing could not prevent widespread hunger. By 1918, millions of Germans were in poor health because they lacked enough food, and thousands had died from starvation.

On 20 October, Kennedy chose a naval blockade to prevent further Soviet military deliveries reaching Cuba. This placed pressure on Khrushchev while leaving time for negotiation. It was less immediately destructive than bombing or invasion, but it was still dangerous: if Soviet ships tried to break through, an armed clash could follow.

A blockade aimed to weaken France by preventing goods and military supplies from reaching it. This made commerce part of warfare: the struggle concerned not only armies and territory, but also the resources that allowed an enemy to keep fighting.

A strong explanation connects these factors: allies sustained the attacking army, military technology helped enforce the blockade, and isolation exhausted defenders already damaged by epidemic disease.