Boyd's account identifies the German battle fleet and freedom of the seas as two sources of Anglo-American tension. Britain wanted German naval power sharply reduced, while American officials considered retaining German capital ships as a constraint on British power. Distributing the ships among the victors according to wartime losses raised a different American concern because Britain would gain most. Freedom of navigation also conflicted with Britain's determination to preserve blockade as a wartime weapon. These disputes connected legal principles and the peace settlement to the balance of fleets.
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The German fleet and blockade divided the wartime allies
The postwar naval settlement raised disputes over German capital ships, neutral shipping and Britain's ability to blockade a future enemy.