ABSTRACT
Naval blockades have historically been associated with the “starvation blockade” of World War I, and more recently with the danger surrounding the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962. Contrary to these highly publicized blockades, many naval blockades have been conducted with little fanfare, and relatively little public awareness. This does not mean that they have been ineffective, however, and as a military tactic naval blockades have time after time shown themselves to be one of the most efficient ways to exert pressure on an opponent. While some blockades have been studied by scholars capable of placing these events in their social, political, and naval context, these authors have been the exception, not the rule. For this reason, this book hopes to fill a major gap in the academic literature.
