The military or naval isolation of a place, port, or region to prevent the entry or exit of supplies, people, or information. Blockades are used as a strategy to weaken an enemy by cutting off essential resources and trade.
From French 'bloquer,' meaning 'to block,' which entered English in the 17th century during the age of naval warfare. The term originally described naval operations but expanded to include land-based sieges and modern economic sanctions.
Britain's naval blockade of Germany during WWI was so effective it caused mass starvation and may have killed more Germans than battlefield combat, demonstrating how economic warfare can be as devastating as military action. The Berlin Blockade of 1948-49 marked the Cold War's first major crisis, while modern blockades like those against Cuba or Gaza show how this ancient tactic remains relevant in contemporary geopolitics.
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