May 2017

For the war at sea, 1917 has been called ‘the year of decision’. Since the start of the conflict in 1914 both Britain and Germany had been looking for ways to maximize the pressure they could put on the other, an aim that, in terms of naval warfare, required at the very least bending and in many cases flagrantly breaching international law. Thus, for both sides, the war at sea up to 1917 had been about finding ways to circumvent accepted norms without suffering unacceptable consequences in reputation and relations with neutral states. 1917 would be the moment when both British and German naval policies were taken to their logical conclusion with consequences that would set in motion the wheels that would bring ultimate victory for the Allies a year later.

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