In the fall of 1917, the German army and navy conducted an amphibious assault in the Baltic Sea. The operation was codenamed Albion. The goal of the operation was ambitious: to convince Russia to sue for peace by seizing several islands protecting the Gulf of Riga. Seizure of these islands would pose a direct threat to the Russian capital of Petrograd. The Germans had no significant experience with amphibious operations, nor did they have any doctrine for their conduct. In spite of this, the operation was planned in approximately a month, and the German landings and subsequent operations ashore were a tremendous success. There is a great deal to be gained by a study of Operation Albion; it is an excellent illustration of many of the major elements of current U.S. joint amphibious doctrine.