Foreign Policy 1885-1901 Flashcards
1
Q
What was the ‘mineral revolution’ in the Transvaal?
A
Finding of gold and diamonds in the Transvaal
2
Q
How did the mineral revolution impact the Transvaal?
A
Transformed economy; threatened to dominate British colonies in South Africa
3
Q
Who held most the newfound wealth in the Transvaal?
A
British and German mine owners - ‘Rand millionaires’
4
Q
What did Chamberlain tell Kruger that strained tensions?
A
That the agreements following the First Boer War had not restored full domestic control to the republic of Transvaal
5
Q
Who did Chamberlain appoint as High Commissioner for South Africa?
A
Alfred Milner
6
Q
What did Chamberlain encourage London banks to do in regard to the Transvaal?
A
Deny long-term investment (along with Milner)
7
Q
What did Milner demand regarding Uitlander citizenship?
A
It to be granted within 5 years
8
Q
When did Kruger call Milner to a final meeting over Uitlander citizenship?
A
June 1899 in Bloemfontein
9
Q
What did Kruger propose to Milner in May 1899?
A
Uiltlander citizenship within seven years, in return for British recognition of the Transvaal in domestic matters
10
Q
What was Milner’s response to Kruger’s May 1899 offer?
A
Declined point blank
11
Q
What did Kruger say about British policy in South Africa in May 1899?
A
‘It is our country you want’
12
Q
When did most the Cabinet agree with Milner’s view that Boers needed ‘teaching a lesson’?
A
Autumn 1899
13
Q
What did Kruger’s telegram on 9 October 1899 demand?
A
British withdrawal from the Transvaal border; or he would declare war (offered to negotiate at an international conference)
14
Q
What was the British response to Kruger’s telegram?
A
Did not even reply
15
Q
When did the Transvaal start war on the Cape Colony?
A
11 October 1899
16
Q
Who advised Kruger that the British could be defeated in a war?
A
Boer generals (especially Smuts)
17
Q
When was the ‘black week’?
A
December 1899
18
Q
What happened during the ‘black week’?
A
British lost battles in Stromberg, Magersfontein and Colonso
19
Q
Where were the British defeated in January 1900?
A
Spion Kop
20
Q
Who was blamed for humiliating defeats at the start of the Boer War?
A
Generals’ poor leadership and poor planning from War Office
21
Q
Who did the British send following early defeats in the Boer War?
A
More troops; Lord Roberts (‘hero of the Indian Mutiny’) and Lord Kitchener (‘Hero of the Sudan’)
22
Q
What happened following the introduction of Kitchener and Roberts?
A
Kimberly, Ladysmith and Mafeking were relieved in quick succession
23
Q
How was Britain faring in the Transvaal by June 1900?
A
Moving towards victory, Johannesburg and Pretoria were occupied. Kruger and his govt moved to Europe
24
Q
What was the ‘khaki’ election?
A
Post-Boer War election in October 1900
25
How did the Boers continue the war after 1900?
Gritty guerrilla warfare
26
What happened in 1901 to the Cape Colony?
Invaded by Boers
27
Who returned to South Africa in 1901?
Kitchener
28
How did Kitchener deal with guerrilla warfare?
Split country into zones, divided by barbed wire; 'scorched earth policy' which meant burning Boer villages and collecting civilians into concentration camps
29
What did Campbell-Bannerman call British action in South Africa?
'methods of barbarism'
30
Which Liberals supported the Boer War?
'Liberal Imperialists' - Rosebery, Asquith, Grey, Haldane
31
What did Emily Hobhouse's report on South African concentration camps say?
They were surrounded by barbed wire, 12 prisoners shared a small tent, no sanitation, rations below starvation level
Said army have 'no humanity', made a 'giant mistake'
32
What did the German Chancellor (Von Bulow) call British concentration camps?
'Brutal and inhuman'
33
How many died in concentration camps?
20,000
34
When did the British finally send an enquiry into concentration camps?
1901
35
What did Fawcett's Commission regarding concentration camps say?
Recommended improvements such as more nurses and rations - conditions eventually improved
36
How may troops were required to defeat the Boers?
450,000
37
When/where did the Boer leaders surrender?
May 1902 at Veereniging
38
How many lives were lost in the Boer War?
20k British, 25k Boer, 12k African
39
What were impacts of the Boer War on farms/villages?
400k cattle died, farms burned; British agreed to pay for the damage - 63k claims made from Boer farmers
40
When did Milner agree to import Chinese labour to work in South African mines?
1904
41
What did the Boer War mean for British foreign policy?
Revealed untenability of 'splendid isolation'
42
When was the Anglo-Japanese Alliance agreed?
1902
43
When was the Anglo-French Entente signed?
1904
44
When was the Anglo-Russian Convention?
1907
45
How did British relations with America change over Venezuela?
Accepted American dominance in North America
46
Who warned of possible German invasion following the Boer War?
A Nation at Arms and National Review
47
Who introduced the scouts and why?
Baden-Powell, to instil military values within children
48
What did the 1907 Haldane Reforms of the Army do?
Created fully equipped British Expeditionary Force which could quickly move into battle overseas, volunteer Territorial Army created
49
What did the Fisher Reforms of the Navy do?
Increased naval presence in Europe, created new fleet of 'unsinkable' Dreadnoughts
50
What happened in South Africa in 1910?
Transvaal, Orange Free State and Cape Colony grouped into United South Africa (Botha became first PM)
51
How did the Boer War effect self-governing colonies?
Wanted redefinition of 'colony' status, 1907 Imperial conference declared dominions could outvote Britain on constitutional relations with Britain - essentially independence
52
Who was Cecil Rhodes?
Cape Colony PM 1900-1906
53
What did Rhodes want for Cape Colony?
Control whole of SA, grandiose plans for railway connecting the Cape with Cairo
54
Who was selling armaments to Kruger post-1886?
Germans
55
Why were there arguments over Uitlanders?
Almost outnumbered Boers yet had no political rights and were taxed heavily - Rhodes looked to stir up anger
56
When was gold discovered in the Transvaal?
1886
57
When was the Jameson Raid?
December 1895
58
What was the Jameson Raid?
Dr Jameson was to lead invasion of Transvaal alongside an Uitlander uprising in Johannesburg - only 500 troops, Uitlanders disorganised, FAILED
59
What were the effects of the Jameson Raid?
Kaiser Wilhelm II congratulated Kruger; offended Orange Free State and Cape Boers; Kruger continued to arm heavily
60
What did Uitlanders explain to the Queen in a telegram?
Their 'frightful' treatment by the Boers
61
Who attempted to mediate between Kruger and Milner following their failed 1889 negotiations?
Chamberlain
62
Why were the Boer forces stronger than the British at the start of the Boer War?
Double the amount of troops, knew the terrain, had German Krupps artillery and rifles - British War office had sent too many unmounted men who did knot know the terrain
63
How much did Britain give to help rebuild farms?
£3 million
64
How much did the Boer War cost Britain?
At least £200 million
65
What did the Colonial Office Memorandum of March 1896 call the Transvaal?
'The richest spot on earth'
66
When was Salisbury in charge of British foreign policy?
1885-1900 (bar a few months)
67
What did Salisbury think of 'splendid isolation'?
Did not approve, never used the term
68
Where did 'splendid isolation' originate from?
Canadian MPs praised minimal British involvement in foreign affairs in 1896 - especially George Eulas
69
What was Salisbury's imperial stance?
Wished to keep the empire, but not expand
70
What did Salisbury label British occupation of Egypt?
'A disastrous inheritance'
71
What did the 1884/85 Berlin Conference address?
European progress in Africa (15 nations represented)
72
What agreements did Salisbury make regarding Africa?
w/ France over Zanzibar and Madagascar, w/ Germany over Zanzibar, Kenya, Uganda (British) and Cameroons, Tanganyika and German SW Africa
73
Why did Salisbury sanction conquest of Sudan?
To remove French threat (interested in Sudan, and Sudanese Dervishes threatened British Egypt)
74
When did Britain send troops to Sudan?
September 1898
75
What did Kitchener do in September 1898?
Defeated Dervishes at Odurman and secured Sudan; humiliated French at Upper Nile a few days later
76
Why did Russia not aid France in the Sudan?
Preoccupied in Manchuria; and British had a strong navy in Mediterranean
77
Where did Britain see it a necessity to stem Russian influence?
Border states with India - Persia, Afghanistan
78
What was Salisbury's agreement with America over the Panama Canal?
Let America build it alone - withdrew Royal Navy from the West Indies
79
What stance did Britain take over the war over Cuba in 1898?
Neutral, despite sympathies for Spain (Spain v America)
80
Why was competitive nationalism a concern for Salisbury?
Feared war over empire
81
When was there a rebellion in East Roumelia?
1885 - demanded union with Bulgaria and not Turkish control
82
Who backed Turkish control of East Roumelia?
Dreikaiserbund
83
What did Salisbury argue regarding East Roumelia and why?
That Turks were unable to control the area - Bulgarian control would increase buffer zone between Russia (Buglaria anti-Russian)
84
What did Salisbury say the 1885 rebellion in East Roumelia rendered Turkey?
'Dead' (private notes)
85
Who helped Britain diffuse Russian threat to invade Bulgaria?
Austria
86
How did the Bulgarian Crisis end British isolation?
Placed Russia and Austria on opposing sides
87
What German Chancellor encourage Britain to do in 1898?
Giving aid to Egypt in opposition to France
88
When was the Mediterranean Agreement signed and what did it mean?
1887 - Britain and Italy in loose coalition to preserve Mediterranean power balance
89
When was the Second Mediterranean Agreement signed and what did it mean?
End of 1887, Austria joined, now covered Dardanelle Straits and Bulgaria
90
What did Bismarck call Britain?
An 'old, traditional ally'
91
When was the Reinsurance Treaty signed and what did it mean?
1887 - Germany, Austria and Russia. Compensation for Dreikaiserbund
92
What did the 1889 Naval Defence Act mean?
'two power standard' adopted - British Navy to be the size of the next two biggest navies combined
93
What was the 1895 Turkish Crisis?
Armenians suppressed by Turk Sultan - told by Europeans to stop. Happened again in Asia Minor a few days later, away from publicity of Constantinople
94
What had Russia done to increase influence near India?
1898 railways reached Afghan borders, gaining influence of Persian Shah
95
How did European intervention help China in 1895?
Germany, France and Russia prevented very harsh peace settlement with Japan (war 1894-95)
96
When did Germans and Russians seize Chinese land?
1897 Germans got Kiao-Chow, 1898 Russians got lease for Port Arthur
97
What did the 1900 Boxer Rebellion provide an excuse for?
Russia to send army to Manchuria
98
When was the British-American border dispute over Venezuela/Guiana?
1894-95
99
What did USA President Cleveland tell Salisbury?
Wanted to arbitrate, talks of invading Canada, Irish Americans volunteer to fight British
100
How long did the Venezuela/Guiana border dispute last?
3 years - Britain accepted American influence
101
What happened when Armenians seized a Turkish bank in 1896?
Hundreds of Armenians massacred by Sultan's forces
102
What did Salisbury say following the 1896 massacre of Armenians?
Concert of Europe to tell Sultan Abdul Hamid to reform; alternatively encouraged Tsar to remove him
103
Why was France able to ally with Russia in 1894?
As Germany rejected renewal of Reinsurance Treaty
104
How did Kitchener fare against the Devirishes at Omdurman?
Easy victory - 48 Brits killed vs 12,000 Sudanese
105
What did Chamberlain say in his 1903 Colonial Conference?
Aimed to introduce similar import controls to Germany and USA, would bring about 750k new jobs
106
What did Chamberlain do with Australia in 1900?
Helped 6 colonies to unite as one federation - they returned the favour by sending troops to fight in the Boer War
107
How did Chamberlain improve foreign public health?
Recognised need to tackle 'new' tropical diseases (eg tsetse fly and sleeping sickness); helped Patrick Manson to establish the world's first facility dedicated to tropical medicine in 1899
108
What did Salisbury sanction in West Africa in the late 1890s?
Conquest of Ashanti (1895) and annexation of Gold Coast
109
When did Chamberlain resign?
1903
110
What was Chamberlain's 'British Zollverein'?
Free trade zone within the empire - rejected
111
How much African land did the British Control by 1885?
32% (France 36%, Germany 8%)
112
How many warships did Britain and Russia have in 1883?
Britain 38, Russia 3
113
How many warships did Britain and Russia have in 1897?
Britain 62, Russia 18
114
How was China split between Europeans?
Spheres of influence - not partitioned
115
What did Chamberlain tell Salisbury about negotiating with Germany?
Pointless - 'Germany will never stand by us against Russia'
116
When did Keiser Wilhelm approve the Navy Bill and the Kiel Canal?
Navy Bill 1898, Kiel Canal 1895
117
When did the British and Germans agree on a joint loan to Portugal?
1898 (secret clause: if Portugal loses control, Portuguese land would be shared)
118
When was the Committee of Imperial Defence established and what did it do?
1902; matters of defence, planning, possibility of war
119
How much of the world's population and land did Britain control?
25% of population, 20% of land
120
When was the Christian uprising in Crete?
1896
121
What did the Great Powers do when intervening in Crete by 1896?
Germans and Russians wanted to blockade Crete, Britain wanted Cretan autonomy
122
What did tensions in Crete lead to?
Greco-Turkish War 1897
123
Who were the Liberal Imperialists?
Group of Liberals led by Rosebery who looked to amend Liberal imperial policy
124
What was Rosebery's view towards British influence in Africa?
Supported influence: put down a revolt in Egypt, clashed with France over Ugandan annexation (divided the party)
125
Why was Rosebery unable to consistently pursue his aims in foreign policy?
Gladstone's Foreign Secretary 1892-92 so sometimes overruled; 1894-95 premiership too short and faced Cabinet quarrels
126
What did Cambell-Bannerman want to do when he became Liberal leader?
Put differences aside - unable to due to Boer War
127
How did Campbell-Bannerman miss an opportunity to assert authority over Boer War?
Tried to mediate between the two factions
128
How many Uitlanders were in the Transvaal by 1899?
41,000 ( mostly British)
