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[[File:Hochseeflotte 2.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|Battleships of the [[High Seas Fleet|''Hochseeflotte'']], 1917]]
At the start of the war, German [[cruiser]]s were scattered across the globe, some of which were subsequently used to attack Allied [[merchant shipping]]. These were systematically hunted down by the Royal Navy, though not before causing considerable damage. One of the most successful was the {{SMS|Emden}}, part of the German [[East Asia Squadron]] stationed at Qingdao, which seized or sank 15 merchantmen, as well as a Russian cruiser and a French destroyer. Most of the squadron was returning to Germany when it sank two British armoured cruisers at the [[Battle of Coronel]] in November 1914, before being virtually destroyed at the [[Battle of the Falkland Islands]] in December. The [[SMS Dresden (1907)|SMS ''Dresden'']] escaped with a few auxiliaries, but after the [[Battle of Más a Tierra]], these too were either destroyed or interned.{{sfn |Taylor |2007 |pp=39–47}}
Soon after the outbreak of hostilities, Britain began a naval [[Blockade of Germany (1914–1919)|blockade of Germany]]. This proved effective in cutting off vital military and civilian supplies, though it violated accepted international law.{{sfn|Keene |2006 |p=5}} Britain also mined international waters which closed off entire sections of the ocean, even to neutral ships.{{sfn|Halpern |1995 |p=293}} Since there was limited response to this tactic of the British, Germany expected a similar response to its unrestricted submarine warfare.{{sfn|Zieger |2001 |p=50}}
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