History Main / NavalBlockade

* This was part of the Union's strategy to defeat the Confederacy during the American Civil War, in what came to be known as the Anaconda Plan. At full effect, approximately 95% of pre-war traffic in Confederate ports was cut off.

* Done by the British to the United States during USefulNotes/TheWarOf1812.

Despite the force of ships surrounding their destination, there are those foolhardy enough to try and get through anyway. This is known as running the blockade.

May overlap with GunboatDiplomacy. Contrast HoldTheLine, for when the good guys are trying to keep their enemies from overrunning their position.

Contrast HoldTheLine, for when the good guys are trying to keep their enemies from overrunning their position.

Blockades are generally differentiated by how close they are to their objective. A close blockade is probably what most people think of, a line of ships close together, well within sight of their target. This also the one that works best for a visual medium. A loose blockade positions itself just over the horizon, with the idea that enemy ships can be drawn out into an ambush. A distant blockade will take place on the open sea, such as Germany's U-Boat wolf packs being used to try and cut the supply lines between the U.S. and Britain during both World Wars. Each has their own advantages and disadvantages, like a close blockade being most effective, but requiring more resources and having no place close for ships to go if they need repairs. How these would work in [[SpaceIsAnOcean space]] depends on the author.

* French and British attempts at intercepting merchant ships carrying goods destined for (or coming from) each others' countries resulted in two wars with the United States. The Quasi-War in 1798 against France and the War of 1812 against Britain. The War of 1812, incidentally, also included a British blockade of American ports, which did much to hamper operations of the US Navy, hence the relative lack of naval battles during a several years-long war. The few times that American warships did manage to get out to sea, they were able to cause considerable damage by attacking British merchant shipping, with the USS ''Essex'' being probably the most successful example.

* A common tactic in the ''VideoGame/TotalWar'' series, though it depends on the era. In ''Rome'', all harbors have trade routes and ships attacking the harbor blockade it. In ''Empire'', ships can attack trade routes themselves, gaining plunder, while ships that enter empty ports belonging to the enemy deprive them from building anything in them.

* As noted above, was also employed to deal with Soviet ships bearing missiles to Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

* ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'': One of Gault's conversations with the Bounty Hunter mentions a [[NoodleIncident blockade...and Mandalorians]].

* Britain and Germany did this to each other simultaneously during both WorldWarOne and WorldWarTwo as a way to choke off trade. Britain's surface fleet was unparalleled, so Germany had to resort to submarines in order to try to isolate the British Isles.

** Appears also in ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', where [[spoiler: the Northern Water Tribe blockades the ports of the Southern Water Tribe, ostensibly to "protect" the spirit portal Korra opened up at the South Pole]].

In war logistics is everything. Armies march on their stomachs, tanks and planes need fuel, and weapons need ammunition. Though there are various ways of getting these things to the front lines, if the fighting is taking place near a major port, chances are supplies will be brought in by ship.

Depending on the setting, this can be done to port towns or cities, a nation's coastline, if you have a fleet large enough, or, in sci-fi works, an entire planet. Obviously, the larger the area you're trying to block off, the more ships and other resources you're going to need.

* This was part of the Union's strategy to defeat the Confederacy during the American Civil War, in what came to be known as the Anaconda Plan.

* During the American Revolutionary War, the British forces under Cornwallis were holed up in the city of Yorktown. When a French fleet blockaded Yorktown and prevented the Royal Navy from re-supplying the British forces, the troops were forced to surrender.