Foreign policy

Question 1

What does Lee say about Gladstone’s first ministry foreign policy?

Answer 1

The ministry was ‘dominated by issues which provided little opportunity for Gladstone to project a positive image’. Praises Gladstone’s attempts to prevent the Franco-Prussian war and links the appeasement of Russia to her later willingness to take part in the Congress of Berlin.

Question 2

What does Clayton say about the eastern question?

Answer 2

‘he got all his own way… and very much appeared to dominate both Europe and the world. It was the climax of his career’

Question 3

What does Feuchtwanger say about the eastern question?

Answer 3

Salisbury deserves credit because he negotiated settlement before the conference began e.g. Dismemberment of big Bulgaria, Cyprus Convention and Austrian occupation of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Question 4

What did Bismarck say about Disraeli?

Answer 4

‘the old Jew, he’s the man’

Question 5

What did Stembridge say about Disraeli’s foreign policy and consistency?

Answer 5

Disraeli’s first political pamphlet in 1833 referred to fears of the loss of ‘our great colonial empire’.

Question 6

What does Walton say about Disraeli’s foreign policy and consistency

Answer 6

In 1852 Disraeli wrote to a colleague ‘these wretched colonies Will all be independent in a few years and are a millstone around necks’ (however this was an isolated event).

Question 7

What does Swartz say about the Suez Canal?

Answer 7

Part of Disraeli’s motivation lay in the need to fire the public imagination as his domestic reform programme was faltering by late 1875 (unlikely to be prime aim).

Question 8

What does Ensor say about Gladstone’s second ministry foreign policy?

Answer 8

He was a ‘reluctant imperialist’ as he was forced into action by the events.

Question 9

What does LCB Seamen say about Gladstone’s second ministry foreign policy?

Answer 9

‘he displayed almost continuous incompetence, administrative inefficiency and at times almost wilful self-deception’

Question 10

What does Lowe say about Gladstone and the Alabama case?

Answer 10

One Conservative MP said that he has ‘a strange mania for eating dirt’

Question 11

What does Lee say about splendid isolation?

Answer 11

He argues that the policy came about due to Salisbury’s belief that a European power equilibrium had been reached.

Question 12

What does Shannon say about splendid isolation?

Answer 12

That Britain was ‘sealed out’ from the alliances due to her poor relationship with the other major European powers at the time.

Question 13

What does Marsden say about splendid isolation

Answer 13

Salisbury was like a ‘keen lawyer’

Question 14

What does Hobson say about the scramble for Africa?

Answer 14

That governments were intervening abroad to protect investments.

Question 15

What does Hyam say about the scramble for Africa?

Answer 15

That Hobson’s argument goes too far the government doesn’t just do what businesses tell them.

Question 16

What is AJP Taylor say about Chamberlain’s foreign policy

Answer 16

‘his great energies were successful only and destruction he was unscrupulous in his means’

Question 17

What does Browne say about Chamberlain foreign policy

Answer 17

‘Great gifts of personality, Of intellect’

Question 18

What does Pakenham say about the Boer War

Answer 18

‘Milner’s war’

Question 19

What does Hyam say about the Boer War

Answer 19

‘this was a conflict of states not of individuals’

Question 20

What does Murphy say about the Entente cordiale

Answer 20

While the government did not intended to the agreement ultimately lead to Britain supporting France in war in 1914

Question 21

What does Merry say about the Entente cordiale

Answer 21

He praises British foreign policy for not upsetting the balance of power that positioning Britain such that she could support the attacked and put pressure on the attacker as neutral arbiter’