Youngian wrote: ↑Sun Apr 21, 2024 9:04 am
British bought up all the Baltic fish stocks in WWI with the aim of starving Germany into submission. Hence the fish and chips boom which helped stave off domestic hunger as the price of fish plummeted.
That POV shouldn’t be dismissed. The army of an invaded nation fighting for their lives do have a massive advantage in morale over a badly conscript army that doesn’t want to be there.
Pundits leapt from the plausible premise that Ukraine was the good guy in this fight to the belief that Ukraine will therefore win, a childish and ahistorical delusion.
I didn't know that, but I know a similar story with a distinct Russian angle.
In 1905 Russian and Japan went to war in the Far East - most Europeans expected a rapid Russian victory.
Maybe not the British, who had been assisting the Japanese in developing their navy.
Maybe not the Germans, who had been assisting the Japanese in developing their army.
Most other nations expected a modern European army to crush a feudal Asian force much like the Boxer Rebellion five years earlier.
That's the background - sorry to make it so long.
The war didn't proceed according to Russian plans.
They soon found themselves besieged in their Eastern Ports: Port Arthur and Vladivostock.
Their pacific fleets were lost.
One sunk by the novel tactic of a nighttime torpedo attack.
The other bombarded by Krupp howitzers from the surrounding hills.
The Russian response was to dispatch their Baltic Fleet on the long journey to Japanese waters.
There they planned to enact revenge.
It didn't go well, the fleet opened fire on the British north Sea fishing fleet.
The resulting diplomatic incident saw Britain close the Channel and Suez Canal, adding (nautical) miles and weeks to the journey.
Perhaps worse, the fleet and its attendant colliers now needed to plan additional coaling stops.
This wasn't helped by the British wiring their agents at all major ports along the way.
They instructed buying all stocks of coal, or where the harbour would not sell, placing offers which drove up the selling price.
There, we finally got to the monopolistic behaviour bit of the story.
As for the Russians, they finally reached Japanese waters, some ships with their decks and passageways still crammed with extra coal.
There they suffered a shock (not shock if you know your stuff) defeat.
The Russian Navy (3rd most powerful in the world at the outset of the war) never regained its standing.
Germany, USA and Japan (The new victors on the block) soon expanded their navies to fill the void.
The resulting building race between Britain and Germany is cited as a leading cause of the first world war.
Russian Sailors developed a reputation for mutiny, and played major roles in the revolutions of 1905and 1917.
16.7 %
16.7 %
33.3 %
16.7 %
