Chapter 6 - Evolving Alliances Flashcards
What alliances already existed?
The Triple Entente (AH, Germany and Italy) and the Franco-Russian agreement
Why did Britain abandon their policy of Splendid Isolation?
Focusing on its empire and avoiding the entanglement of European alliances was looking less beneficial to its politicians - a decline in world trade and industrial production coupled with frequent disputes over colonial territories made the avoidance of binding agreements with other powers seem increasingly risky
How did the British experience in the Boer War become a catalyst for the abandonment of Splendid Isolation?
It had exposed the weaknesses and inefficiencies of the British Army and made alliances appear more useful
What was the British attitude to an alliance with Germany?
Powerful voices preferred an agreement with Germany - Queen Victoria (grandmother to the Kaiser), the PM Lord Salisbury, and the Secretary of State for the Colonies Joseph Chamberlain were all in favour. However, Britain was reluctant to join the Triple Alliance as its ministers foresaw the potential for conflict between AH and Russia in the Balkans
What was Germany’s attitude to an alliance with Britain?
The German response to an alliance with Britain was lukewarm
What was the result of the Moroccan Crises 1905 and 1908-11?
The 1904 Anglo-French alliance became more firmly defined
What had been agreed at the 1880 Madrid Conference?
All major European countries and the USA agreed that all powers had equal trading rights in Morocco
What had been occurring since the Madrid Conference?
French and German traders were active in Morocco and hoped to gain a more secure political influence there too, which would undermine the Madrid agreements
What happened in January 1905?
A French delegation travelled to meet with the Moroccan Sultan with the aim of persuading him to agree to a series of reforms - this had been approved by Britain, however, Germany feared that Morocco would become a French protectorate like Tunisia had in 1881, which it feared would threaten the interests of German merchants in the region
How did Kaiser Wilhelm II respond to the French interests in Morocco?
Sailed into the Moroccan capital, Tangiers, whilst on a Mediterranean cruise on 31st March 1905 “in support of German business interests” there. He gave speeches recognising the Moroccan Sultan as an independent ruler and questioned the leaked agreements between France and Britain. He hoped that this would persuade the French to back down and show Britain how weak their new ally was and to signal that this friendship would lead them into imperial disputes
What did Wilhelm’s response provoke?
A crisis between France and Germany and to a lesser extent, Britain, as Wilhelm’s speeches suggested to the French that he would help the Moroccans resist French domination, which would lead to conflict between France and Germany if left unresolved, and drawing in Great Power allies
How did Britain feel about the situation?
Britain was outraged at the impertinence of the German government, with the British Ambassador to Paris telling the French that the Germans would live to regret the incident, signifying a shift in relations between the three powers. The British King, Edward VII, had always found his nephew, Wilhelm, highly irritating, publicly branded the Kaiser “mischievous” and his actions a “political theatrical fiasco”, saying “if he thinks he has done himself good in the eyes of the world, he is very much mistaken”
Why did Declasse have to resign as French FM in 1905?
He urged France to resist Germany’s demands in Morocco, but his colleagues favoured a more conciliatory approach - whilst they were not willing to fully concede, they realised that a war with Germany at this stage could leave them without Russian support as the Russo-Japanese war was still waging in the spring. Therefore, to placate the Germans, the French forced Declasse to resign
What happened after Declasse resigned?
An international conference in Algeciras, Spain, was agreed to, giving the impression that Germany’s coup d’état of Morocco had succeeded
What happened at the Algeciras Conference January 1906-March 1906?
The British, Russians, Italians, Spanish and Americans all supported France’s claims, meaning that Germany’s only ally was AH, leading to Germany experiencing a major diplomatic defeat.
