List of blockades

Last updated

The list of blockades informs about blockades that were carried out either on land, or in the maritime and air spaces in the effort to defeat opponents through denial of supply, usually to cause military exhaustion and starvation as an economic blockade in addition to restricting movement of enemy troops.

Contents

Ancient era

OpponentsBlockaderConflictDetails
458–457 BCE Aegina (Saronic Gulf) Athens First Peloponnesian War
431–404 BCE Athens Sparta Peloponnesian War Spartan forces surrounded Athens on land. Athens withstood the landward attack, and subsisted on food imported by ship. In the Battle of Aegospotami, the Spartan navy destroyed the Athenian navy and implemented a sea blockade, forcing Athens to surrender. [1]
31 BCESupporters of Mark Antony
Ptolemaic Egypt
Supporters of Octavian War of the Second Triumvirate
(Battle of Actium)
Octavian blockaded Mark Antony's ships in the Gulf of Actium.

Medieval era

Blockaded TerritoryBlockaderConflictDetails
1068–1071Byzantine imperial flag, 14th century.svg Byzantine Empire Robert Guiscard Norman conquest of southern Italy Robert Guiscard's Norman forces blockaded Byzantine cities in southern Italy, most notably in the siege of Bari.
1084 Norman-occupied Corfu Byzantine imperial flag, 14th century.svg Byzantine Empire
Flag of the Serene Republic of Venice.svg Venice
Byzantine-Norman Wars After the Normans occupied Corfu, Emperor Alexios I Komnenos blockaded the island with Venetian naval support gained in exchange for commercial privileges.
1102Vexillum Regni Hierosolymae.svg Jerusalem White flag 3 to 2.svg Fatimid Caliphate Crusades
1104–1108 Tripoli Vexillum Regni Hierosolymae.svg Jerusalem
Banner of the Principality of Antioch.png Antioch
Banner of arms of the House of Courtenay.png Edessa
Flag of Occitania.svg Toulouse
Bandera de la Cerdanya.svg Cerdanya
Flag of Genoa.svg Genoa
Siege of Tripoli Blockade of the Lebanese coast leading by the Outremer and Genoa leading to the establishment of the County of Tripoli
1110 Sidon Kongeflagg.svg Norway Norwegian Crusade
1337Generieke vlag van Vlaanderen.svg Cadzand, Flanders Royal Standard of England (1406-1603).svg England Hundred Years' War
1379–1380Flag of the Serene Republic of Venice.svg Venice Flag of Genoa.svg Genoa War of Chioggia
1394–1402Byzantine imperial flag, 14th century.svg Constantinople, Byzantine Empire Flag of the Ottoman Empire (1844-1922).svg Ottoman Empire Byzantine–Ottoman wars Ottoman blockade of Constantinople [2]

Early-modern era

Duration of BlockadeBlockaded TerritoryBlockaderConflictDetails
1585–1792Flag of Cross of Burgundy.svg Antwerp, Spanish Netherlands
(later Austrian Low Countries Flag.svg Austrian Netherlands)
Statenvlag.svg Dutch Republic Aftermath of Eighty Years' War
1601Flag of the Dutch East India Company.svg Banten Flag of Portugal (1578).svg Portuguese Empire Dutch–Portuguese War
1639–1646Flag of Cross of Burgundy.svg Spanish Netherlands Statenvlag.svg Dutch Republic Thirty Years' War
1653Statenvlag.svg Dutch Republic Flag of The Commonwealth.svg England First Anglo-Dutch War
1656–1657Flag of the Serene Republic of Venice.svg Venice Flag of the Ottoman Empire (1844-1922).svg Ottoman Empire
(Dardanelles)
Cretan War
1775–1778Colonial-Red-Ensign.svg Thirteen Colonies
(Flag of the United States (1777-1795).svg United States from 1776 onwards)
Union flag 1606 (Kings Colors).svg Great Britain American Revolutionary War The British Empire declared the American colonies to be in a state of rebellion after the First Continental Congress and refused to recognize their Declaration of Independence. The blockade ended with the Treaty of Paris recognizing U.S. independence and ending the war.
1788–1790Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden Flag of Russia.svg Russia Second Russo-Swedish War
1793–1797Flag of France official.svg France Union flag 1606 (Kings Colors).svg Great Britain War of the First Coalition
1794Flag of the Dutch East India Company.svg Dutch East Indies
Flag of the British East India Company (1707).svg British East India Company
Flag of France official.svg France
1797Flag of Spain (1785-1873, 1875-1931).svg Spain Union flag 1606 (Kings Colors).svg Great Britain Anglo-Spanish War
1798–1802Flag of France official.svg France Union flag 1606 (Kings Colors).svg Great Britain
Flag Portugal (1750).svg Portugal
Flag of Russia.svg Russia
Flag of the Ottoman Empire (1844-1922).svg Ottoman Empire
Bandera de Napoles - Trastamara.svg Naples
Flag of the Order of St. John (various).svg Order of St. John
War of the Second Coalition
1798–1800Flag of France (1794-1815, 1830-1958).svg French-occupied Egypt
1798–1800Flag of France (1794-1815, 1830-1958).svg French-occupied Malta
1801Royal Standard of Denmark (1731-1819).svg Denmark-Norway Union flag 1606 (Kings Colors).svg Great Britain
1806–1814Flag of France (1794-1815).svg France Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom Napoleonic Wars
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom Flag of France (1794-1815).svg France and its client states
1808–1809Flag of Russia.svg Russia Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden Finnish War
1808–1813Royal Standard of Denmark (1731-1819).svg Denmark-Norway Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden
Dano-Swedish War of 1808–09
Gunboat War
1812–1845Flag of the United States (1795-1818).svg United States Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom War of 1812
1807–1866 Africa Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
Flag of the United States (1837-1845).svg United States (after 1841)
Blockade of Africa The blockade suppressed the Atlantic slave trade.
1825–1828Flag of Argentina.svg United Provinces Flag of Empire of Brazil (1822-1870).svg Empire of Brazil Cisplatine War

Modern era

Duration of BlockadeBlockaded TerritoryBlockaderConflictDetails
1838–1840Flag of the Argentine Confederation.svg Rio de la Plata, Argentine Confederation Flag of France (1794-1815, 1830-1958).svg France War of the Confederation
1840Flag of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies (1816).svg Kingdom of the Two Sicilies Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom Sulphur Crisis
1845–1850Flag of the Argentine Confederation.svg Rio de la Plata, Argentine Confederation Flag of France (1794-1815, 1830-1958).svg France
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
Uruguayan Civil War
1846–1848Bandera de la Segunda Republica Federal de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos.svg Mexico Flag of the United States (1846-1847).svg United States Mexican-American War
1848–1851Flag of the German Confederation (war).svg Germany Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark First Schleswig War
1854–1856Flag of Russia.svg Russia Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
Flag of France (1794-1815).svg France
Flag of the Ottoman Empire (1844-1922).svg Ottoman Empire
Crimean War
1861–1865Flag of the Confederate States of America (1865).svg Confederate States Flag of the United States (1861-1863).svg United States American Civil War
1854–1856Flag of Chile.svg Chile Flag of Spain (1785-1873, 1875-1931).svg Spain Chincha Islands War
1886 State flag of Greece (1863-1924;1935-73).svg Greece Great Powers (excluding France) Eastern Rumelia Crisis [3]
1894–1895Flag of the Qing Dynasty (1889-1912).svg China Merchant flag of Japan (1870).svg Japan First Sino-Japanese War
1897Flag of the Ottoman Empire (1844-1922).svg Constantinople, Ottoman Empire Great Powers
1898Flag of Spain (1785-1873, 1875-1931).svg Spanish Cuba

Flag of Puerto Rico (1873-1875).svg San Juan, Spanish Puerto Rico

Flag of the United States (1896-1908).svg United States Spanish-American War
1902–1903Flag of Venezuela (1863-1905).svg Venezuela Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
Flag of the German Empire.svg Germany
Flag of Italy (1861-1946) crowned.svg Italy
Venezuelan crisis of 1902–1903
1914–1919Flag of the German Empire.svg Germany Flag of Austria-Hungary (1867-1918).svg Austria-Hungary
Flag of the Ottoman Empire (1844-1922).svg Ottoman Empire
Flag of Bulgaria.svg Bulgaria
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg British Empire
Flag of France (1794-1815, 1830-1958).svg France
Flag of Italy (1861-1946) crowned.svg Italy
Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg United States
World War I and its aftermath

Included mainly Germany but also the entire Central Powers. The Allied blockade of Germany continued for a year after the Armistice until it signed the Treaty of Versailles. [4]

1915–1918Flag of Lebanon (1918-1920).svg Lebanon Flag of the Ottoman Empire (1844-1922).svg Ottoman Empire Middle Eastern theatre of World War I [5]
1936Merchant flag of Spanish Morocco.svg Spanish Morocco Flag of Spain (1931-1939).svg Spain Spanish Civil War

The Spanish Republican Navy blockaded the Strait of Gibraltar to hamper the transport of Francisco Franco's Army of Africa to Peninsular Spain

1936–1939Flag of Spain (1931-1939).svg Republican-controlled Spain Flag of the Bando Nacional (1936-1938).svg Nationalist faction The Nationalists blockaded northern and southeastern Spain
1937–1945Flag of the Republic of China.svg China Merchant flag of Japan (1870).svg Japan Second Sino-Japanese War
1939–1945Flag of Germany (1935-1945).svg Nazi Germany and its occupied territories
Flag of Italy (1861-1946) crowned.svg Fascist Italy (after 1940)
Flag of France (1794-1958).svg Vichy France and its colonies (after 1940)
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
Canadian Red Ensign (1921-1957).svg Canada
Flag of France (1794-1815, 1830-1958).svg France (until 1940)
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union (after 1941)
Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg United States (after 1941)
World War II

The Allied Powers carried out a blockade to prevent the Axis Powers from acquiring materials. Although the blockade was initially ineffective due to the use of neutral ports in the Soviet Union and Francoist Spain, it grew more severe when the Soviet Union and the United States entered the war in 1941 and when the Germans lost control of their occupied territories in France and Eastern Europe in 1944.

1940–1945Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union
Flag of Germany (1935-1945).svg Nazi Germany

The Nazi German Kriegsmarine attempted to block shipping to Britain and Russia through the use of U-boats.

1941–1945Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Leningrad, Soviet Union Eastern Front of World War II
1944–1945Merchant flag of Japan (1870).svg Japan Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg United States
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg British Empire
Pacific Front of World War II
1948Flag of the Republic of China.svg Changchun, Republic of China Second War Flag of Chinese Soviet Republic.svg Chinese Red Army Chinese Civil War Changchun was one of the largest cities in Manchuria and was a strategic ROC Army base in Northeast China. The fall of the city led to Communist victory in the Liaoshen campaign.
1948–1949Flag of Berlin.svg West Berlin Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Berlin Blockade The Soviet occupation forces in Germany blockaded West Berlin at the beginning of the Cold War, but it became ineffective due to an American-led airlift.
1949–1958Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Mainland China Flag of the Republic of China.svg Taiwan Cross-Strait conflict
1950–1953Flag of North Korea.svg North Korea Flag of South Korea.svg South Korea
Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg United States
Flag of the United Nations.svg United Nations Command
Korean War
1956Flag of Israel.svg Israel Flag of Egypt (1952-1958).svg Egypt Suez Crisis Egypt blockaded the Straits of Tiran before the Suez Crisis.
1962Flag of Cuba.svg Cuba Flag of the United States.svg United States Cuban Missile Crisis The United States declared a "quarantine" of Cuba in reaction to the deployment of Soviet nuclear missiles.
1965–1975Flag of North Vietnam (1955-1975).svg North Vietnam Flag of the United States.svg United States
Flag of South Vietnam.svg South Vietnam
Vietnam War
1966–1975Flag of Rhodesia (1968-1979).svg Rhodesia Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom Beira Patrol The British government, along with most of the international community, did not recognize Rhodesia's Unilateral Declaration of Independence due to its policy of no independence before majority rule.
1967Flag of Israel.svg Israel Flag of Egypt.svg Egypt Six-Day War Egypt resumed its blockade of the Straits of Tiran shortly before the war. Israel responded by invading and occupying the Sinai Peninsula.
1968–1970Flag of Biafra.svg Biafra Flag of Nigeria.svg Nigeria Nigerian Civil War Nigeria blockaded the secessionist republic of Biafra, creating an international humanitarian crisis that resulted in Biafrans receiving aid from volunteers around the world during the Biafran airlift and inspired the formation of Doctors Without Borders.
1971Flag of Pakistan.svg East Pakistan Flag of India.svg India Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
1973Flag of Israel.svg Israel Flag of Egypt.svg Egypt October war 1973
Flag of Egypt.svg Egypt Flag of Israel.svg Israel
1982Flag of the Falkland Islands.svg Falkland Islands
(Occupied by Flag of Argentina.svg Argentina making it Flag of Argentina.svg Islas Malvinas)
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom Falklands War
1982–2000Flag of Lebanon.svg Lebanon Flag of Israel.svg Israel 1982 Lebanon War

South Lebanon conflict

The blockade was first imposed during the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon. However, it was sporadically renewed after the Israel Defense Force was forced to withdraw to the South Lebanon security belt due to its continuing conflict with Hezbollah.
1988Flag of Armenia.svg Armenia
Flag of Artsakh.svg Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh)
Flag of Turkey.svg Turkey

Flag of Azerbaijan.svg Azerbaijan

Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Armenia and Azerbaijan have been at war since the dissolution of the Soviet Union over the status of Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia is a landlocked country and therefore cannot conduct foreign trade without going through one of its neighbors. Turkey, Armenia’s historic enemy with whom it shares its largest border, is also an ally of Azerbaijan. Turkey and Azerbaijan have long refused to allow any Armenian trade over their air or land space. Lacking a sizeable enough border with Iran to facilitate major trade means Armenia is effectively dependent on the Georgia and Iran to conduct international trade. In order to avoid disturbing relations with Azerbaijan, Georgia imposes certain limits on Armenian imports.
1990–2003Flag of Iraq (1963-1991).svg Ba'athist Iraq Flag of the United Nations.svg United Nations
Flag of the United States.svg United States
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
Flag of France.svg France
Gulf War
Iraq disarmament crisis
Enforcement of sanctions against Iraq. The U.S. Air Force, the Royal Air Force, and the French Air Force also enforced no-fly zones in the northern and southern halves of the country.
1990Flag of Lithuania.svg Lithuania Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union Singing Revolution

The Soviet government refused to recognize Lithuania's independence.

1992–1993Flag of Croatia.svg Croatia Flag of Serbia and Montenegro (1992-2006).svg Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Croatian War of Independence Yugoslavia refused to recognize Croatia's independence. The Yugoslav Navy blockaded the Adriatic coast until it was defeated by Croatian artillery in the Battle of the Dalmatian Channels.
1993–1996Flag of Serbia and Montenegro (1992-2006).svg Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Flag of NATO.svg North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Flag of the United Nations.svg United Nations Protection Force
Bosnian War

NATO imposed a blockade on the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to enforce the UN sanctions on the country and enforced no-fly zones.

1996Flag of the Republic of China.svg Taiwan Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Mainland China Third Taiwan Strait Crisis The PRC launched ballistic missiles at ROC territorial waters near the important ports of Keelung and Kaohsiung, forcing lengthy travel and shipping delays. The missile launches were believed to be intended to intimidate the Taiwanese public before the 1996 presidential election.
2001–2007Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia Maritime protection program to prevent arrivals of unauthorized "boat people."
2006Flag of Lebanon.svg Lebanon Flag of Israel.svg Israel 2006 Lebanon War
2009Flag of Sri Lanka.svg Mullaitivu, Sri Lanka Flag of Sri Lanka.svg Sri Lanka
2011Flag of Libya (1977-2011).svg Libya Flag of the United Nations.svg United Nations Libyan Civil War The U.N. Security Council approved a no-fly zone over Libya.
2015Flag of Nepal.svg   Nepal Flag of India.svg India 2015 Nepal blockade Nepal accused India, on which it is reliant for petroleum and medicine imports, of imposing a blockade.
2017–2021Flag of Qatar.svg Qatar Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Saudi Arabia
Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg United Arab Emirates
Flag of Bahrain.svg Bahrain
Flag of Egypt.svg Egypt
Qatar diplomatic crisis Several Arab League countries accused Qatar of funding terrorism in violation of a Gulf Cooperation Council agreement. Qatar denied these accusations but Saudi Arabia, Qatar’s only land neighbor, sealed its border, imposing a “land blockade“ and shutting down all land based trade to and from Qatar. Qatar was also criticized for its close relations with Iran and the management of Al Jazeera. Qatar claims it never funded terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, and also shares a strategic alliance with the United States in the War on Terror and the international intervention against ISIL. The conflict was resolved after a diplomatic agreement brokered by the United States and Kuwait.
2022Flag of Artsakh.svg Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Flag of Azerbaijan.svg Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

Starting in December 2022, Azerbaijan launched an illegal blockade of the breakaway Republic of Artsakh in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, trapping the 120,000 residents within the region, blocking transport of food, medicine, and other supplies, and cutting off electricity and natural gas to the region. [6] [7] [8] The blockade has remained in place despite calls from the International Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights for the blockade to be lifted. [9] [10]

Current

Start of BlockadeBlockaded TerritoryBlockaderConflictDetails
1989Flag of Armenia.svg Armenia Flag of Azerbaijan.svg Azerbaijan
Flag of Turkey.svg Turkey
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

& Pan-Turkism

The blockade was initiated in 1989 by Azerbaijan, originally in response to the Karabakh movement which called for independence from Azerbaijan and reunification with Armenia. Turkey later joined the blockade against Armenia in 1993. The blockade aims at isolating Armenia (and Nagorno-Karabakh until 2023) to pressure the Armenian side to make concessions: [11] [12] [13] namely, the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in Azerbaijan’s favor, the cessation of Armenia's pursuit of international recognition of Turkey’s genocide in Western Armenia, the ratification by Armenia of the 1921 borders inherited from the Kemalist-Soviet Treaty of Kars, and the establishment of an extraterritorial corridor through Armenian territory.

2007Flag of Palestine.svg Gaza Strip Flag of Israel.svg Israel
Flag of Egypt.svg Egypt
Gaza–Israel conflict

Israel and Egypt closed all land border crossings to the Gaza Strip after the Battle of Gaza (2007) following the election of the Hamas Party and imposed a strict air and sea blockade. Israel claims that the blockade is necessary to prevent weapons from reaching Hamas, while Egypt claims that the blockade is intended to prevent Hamas from undermining the legitimacy of the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority after winning the election.

2015Flag of Yemen.svg Yemen Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Saudi Arabia
Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg United Arab Emirates
Flag of Bahrain.svg Bahrain
Flag of Egypt.svg Egypt
Saudi Arabian–led intervention in Yemen

After the Houthis overthrew President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi the Saudi government accused it of supporting Iran and blockaded the country. The United States and the United Kingdom provided naval and logistical support. The international community has criticized the blockade for creating a humanitarian crisis in Yemen including famine and a cholera outbreak.

2022Flag of Ukraine.svg Ukraine Flag of Russia.svg Russia Russian invasion of Ukraine Russia blockaded Ukraine's access to the Black Sea. After negotiations with Ukraine via Turkey, a corridor to export Grain was opened. It was briefly halted after the Kerch Bridge was attacked with a Truck Bomb. [14]

See also

References

  1. Boardman, John & Griffin, Jasper & Murray, Oswyn. 2001. The Oxford History of Greece and the Hellenistic World, p. 166. ISBN   0-19-280137-6.
  2. Robert Cowley, Geoffrey Parker. The Reader's Companion to Military History New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1996. on Google Books.
  3. Dakin, Douglas (2012). Η Ενοποίηση της Ελλάδας 1770-1923[The Unification of Greece 1770-1923] (in Greek). Athens: Morfotiko Idrima Ethnikis Trapezis. pp. 214–215. ISBN   978-960-250-150-4.
  4. Osborne, Eric W., Britain's economic blockade of Germany, 1914–1919, Frank Cass, London, 2004, p.230
  5. "World War I" on Countrystudies.us
  6. Gavin, Gabriel (Dec 19, 2022). "Supplies begin to run low as Nagorno-Karabakh blockade continues". eurasianet.org. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
  7. Kitachayev, Bashir (16 December 2022). "Azerbaijani roadblock cuts tens of thousands off from food, fuel and medicine". openDemocracy . Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  8. Hill, Nathaniel (2023-02-24). "Genocide Emergency: Azerbaijan's Blockade of Artsakh". genocidewatch. Retrieved 2023-05-08. Azerbaijan has repeatedly turned off the supply of natural gas and electricity to Artsakh, subjecting its people to freezing temperatures.
  9. "Statement on Azerbaijan s Noncompliance with February 22nd ICJ Order to Unblock Lachin Corridor". Lemkin Institute. Retrieved 2023-04-13.
  10. "HUDOC - European Court of Human Rights - European Court decides to indicate interim measures in the "Lachin Corridor"" (PDF). hudoc.echr.coe.int. 2022-12-22. Retrieved 2023-06-12.
  11. Jardine, Bradley. "With new railway, Turkey seeks to isolate Armenia and integrate Azerbaijan". Eurasianet . Columbia University. Archived from the original on 2024-04-18. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  12. Avedian, Vahagn (2013-10-31). "The Unsustainable European Policy towards the South Caucasus". Foreign Policy Journal . Retrieved 2024-08-21. The outspoken Azeri policy (in conjunction with the Turkish embargo) is to force Armenians to choose "prosperity without Karabakh or poverty with Karabakh," pushing Armenia to the degree of destitution that "people will even stop thinking about Karabakh." This has been confirmed on numerous occasions by President Aliyev himself, the latest from October 7, 2013: 'We must further keep Armenia isolated from diplomatic, political, economic, regional initiatives.' The same applies to the Turkish policy, which, in addition to the Karabakh dispute, also aims at the issue of forcing Armenia to drop its efforts for an international recognition of the 1915 Armenian genocide.
  13. Ter-Matevosyan, Vahram (2017-05-04). "Armenia in the Eurasian Economic Union: reasons for joining and its consequences". Eurasian Geography and Economics . 58 (3). Routledge: 340–360. doi:10.1080/15387216.2017.1360193. Archived from the original on 2023-11-18. Retrieved 2024-08-21. By inventing a "one nation, two states" formula, the leaders of Turkey and Azerbaijan have worked closely since the early 1990s to marginalize Armenia from regional energy and communication Projects.
  14. "Secretary-General's remarks on Signing of Black Sea Grain Initiative | United Nations Secretary-General". www.un.org. Retrieved 2023-04-07.

Further reading