Operating farther from the coast reduces exposure to storms, shallow water, and sudden attacks, which is why many blockades are loose rather than close. The Royal Navy's suppression of the Atlantic slave trade supplies one historical example of wide-area enforcement away from a single port. Ordinary blockade practice centered on stopping ships and seizing or buying their cargo, while unrestricted submarine warfare destroyed ships and killed crews. In this interpretation, submarine warfare is closer to siege conducted through maritime means. The classification remains open to debate, but it clarifies the different coercive methods hidden beneath the word blockade.
Notable Point · 25:06-27:25
Loose blockade and the submarine-warfare distinction
A loose blockade keeps warships out of hazardous coastal waters; the video then argues that unrestricted submarine warfare resembles siege warfare more than a conventional blockade.