British ownership would not automatically close German trade. In peacetime Britain would have no reason to interdict commerce, and if Britain remained neutral in another German war its ships could carry German goods to Helgoland for onward movement in German vessels. The outpost could therefore ease German access to seaborne trade under neutral cover. War against Britain would reverse that advantage: the same geography beside Germany's main North Sea routes would help tighten the economic blockade.
Chapter · 26:10-27:17
Peacetime commerce versus wartime pressure
Separate the island's limited peacetime disruption from its severe wartime leverage.