INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS Flashcards
what was the great game
- a period from 1813-1907
- it was a period of hostile relations between britain and russia over territory in afghanistan and asia
- it was a proxy war with no actual direct confrontation between britain and russia
when was the first anglo-afghan war and the 2nd anglo-afghan war
1st = 1838-1842
2nd = 1878-1880
why did russia attempt to expand down into afghanistan (4)
- the russians were pioneers in exploration and knew the territory in russia well
- thought the area around britain was weak - the raj was seen as brittle and weak - felt Russia would be able to provide a better, alternative government
- imperial expansion
- idea of advancing civilisation
- expand markets and trade to raw material
- neutralise the power of the british - russia was humiliated from its 4 previous defeats and needing to abandon territory
- need to prove its imperial strength
why was there tension between britain and russia
- collapse of the turkish empire, which would no longer act as a buffer zone to protect india
- the british wanted a buffer zone in afghanistan, which russia interpreted as directly going against their power
- both were vast imperial powers - completely unwilling to concede and be deemed as a subservient political power
- threat of british invading russian areas - unpredictability - maskirovka gambit meant both powers would tease one another
- reliance on violence
- the russians used violence to drive the british out - this use of violence didn’t align w british values
- the russians had no support, british had support from france + austria
describe the boxer rebellion
1899-1901
- it was an anti-christian and anti-european chinese movement
- the boxers were convinced that they were immune to foreign weapons, and so therefore launched violent attacks in beijing to remove foreign influence
- the 8 nation alliance joins together to storm the Dagu Fort
- cixi supported the boxers and issued an imperial decree which was a declaration of war on foreign powers
- the 8 nation alliance consisted of 20,000 troops and marched into beijing to relieve a 55 day siege of christians in diplomatic compounds
- this led to an extremely violent movement and rebuttal by boxers, and more violence used by the british to suppress them
- the chinese imperial court flee the city with foreign troops being allowed to be stationed in beijing
- the boxer protocol was signed
*china is never part of the british empire
when does russia enter kabul
1878 - after brussels conference
(brussels = 1876)
when do the british enter the hunza valley
1889-1892
public reaction and attitudes to involvement in the great game
- disraeli (1874-1880) was fearful of cost and foreign hostilities, but takes an expansionist approach anyways
- gladstone used this as an opportunity to enforce the invasion of free people - un-necessary expansion (midlothian campaign)
- newspapers supported these more liberal interpretations of empire
who was alexander burnes and describe his actions
- a member of the EIC and british spy who was sent by lord auckland into investigating an invasion into afghanistan
- he launches this mission in 1838
- he ultimately fails, because his mission triggers russian spies to enter afghanistan which antagonises the situation
- this ends up causing foreign interference and accelerating tensions
- afghans mobilise against burnes and his mission, of which this unity against britain was underestimated - they proceed to attack him
- he was killed by afghan troops and the british retreat
what do the actions of burnes display about british attitudes
- protective british attitudes
- fundamental importance attached to india - it was the core of political power and hotspot of empire
- displays the extent to which the british were willing to protect india
- idea of overarching paternalism - this need to protect
attitudes of people in afghanistan to the british
- felt that the british were forcefully intervening with their culture
- rumours about british treatment toward afghan women
- shah shujah leads a movement against british
- viewed the british as materialistic and transactional - the british were only present there not because of genuine interest, but because of a desire to assert their power
what was the idea of masterly inactivity
- it would be foolish for the british to invade afghanistan and expect to retain control of india - therefore do nothing in afghanistan to maintain control over india
- stated by viceroy john lawrence
- invasion would also increase vulnerability
- consciously not doing anything to not antagonise russia
HOW do tensions between britain and russia increase
- russian expansion
- russia builds alliances with persia and begins to take small territory in northern afghanistan
- russia enters turkmenistan and is only 600 miles from russia
- propaganda presented britain as subordinate - espionage
- both the russians and british have military intelligence (ie maclean)
- 25,000 troops entered herat - direct threat and british advance into kandahar (idea of paranoia)
- found out russians had 11,000 infantry - constant small territorial gain
- both countries kept taking small areas to prove military capability
- threat of war when russians expand a railway into kushk in 1900 - afghan rejection
- neither russia or britain could actually do anything
when do the british enter an alliance with japan
1902
- this is to form a railway
why and how did the idea of masterly inactivity break down
- russia was involved in supporting balkan nationalists to reject the ottomans
- the british viewed this as an attempt to take over europe and move progressively into asia
- russians got angry at british determination to stop them being ‘liberating’
- because of turkish defeat, it was felt that military enforcement was needed to protect empire and prevent suppression
- the only way now to protect afghanistan was through force
describe the second anglo-afghan war
- it was a war to turn afghanistan into a satellite state against russian expansion
- in november 1879, the khyber pass is taken
when do britain take egypt
1882
- just after the anglo-afghan war - expansionist conservative policies
what battle were the british defeated in by afghan tribes in 1880
1880
- battle at MAIWAN
native experiences
- zulus
- afghanistan
- boers
hanja
when was the anglo-russian entente signed
1907
- eventually forms the triple entente
what key events to talk about international hostilities
- fashoda 1898
- berlin conference
- brussels conference
- egypt expansion (2 years previously, the british fail at maiwan)
- great game
when does curzon:
1. form the north-west frontier province
2. order younghusband to invade tibet
- 1901
- 1903
*active policy against russians - buffer
describe british actions in burma
1886
- diplomats in burma were forming relations with Jules Ferry, of which this ‘political alliance’ made the british uncomfordable
- in 1881, there was a border crisis, in which the british appoint a commission to mark out the border, with the british forcing burmese to stand down
- Hass (a french diplomat) was appointed in 1885 to establish relations in Burma, which angered the British, forcing him to stand down
- the Burmese introduced a fine on a Bombay trading corporation for employee working conditions, forcing the company to be fined, which angered the British
- the british attempted to impose an arbitrator, which the burmese refused, which advocated for a british resident, and burma submitting foreign policy power
- burma was later annexed by the british in 1886, with material goods being shipped back to britain
- the british effectively establish diplomatic control in burma, and begin to reside here (the burmese nobility collapsed)
- rangoon is incorporated into india (easier administrative control)
what was the 8 nation alliance
an alliance between america, austro-hungarian, british, french, german, italian, japanese and russian troops in the boxer rebellion
key stats about the boxer rebellion (2)
- 100,000 boxers took part in this event
- 100,000 people (foreigners and boxers died)
what was the boxer protocol document
a 1901 declaration to solve the boxer rebellion - was effectively a treaty
- it required the execution of government officials who supported the boers
- foreign troops remained in beijing
- 450 million taels of silver were to be paid to the 8 nations
describe british actions in tibet
- relations between the british and those in tibet was relatively strained (no relations with the dalai lama)
- curzon orders younghusband and 2000 troops in a diplomatic expedition into tibet in 1903 to offset russian influence and potential invasions
- curzon orders the mass killing of monks to prevent russian entry into tibet in Tashi Lhunpo Monastary
- the motivation was for tibet to act as a buffer zone for the raj
- in 1904, Lhasa was reached, despite the British encountering resistance from local Tibetans
- this caused the tibetans to have a negative view of empire
what was the treaty of Lhasa
1904
- tibetans were forced to pay an indemnity to the british for their military operations
- were forced to recognise british suzerainty in the area
- british diplomatic and commercial interests were to be served in tibet
when do the british leave tibet
1908
describe the brussels conference, who were the key figures and what did it discover
1876
- leopold of belgium hosts a conference to find ways for belgian expansion into africa, and how to protect their interests in the congo
- despite the surface level interpretation of this event being to bring civilisation, it triggered expansionist competition
discovery:
- africa was uncivilised and ‘barbaric’, therefore european intervention was necessary to develop the congo (economically and politically)
- africa needed vast infrastructural development - europe would assist w this
key figures:
- henry morton stanley (missionary)
describe the berlin conference
what was the name of the organisation of which after britain annexed burma, would redistribute burmese goods
prize committee, mandalay
describe burmese resistance against the british and british responses to this
in 1886, burmese gangs oppose the presence of the british and organise countryside resistance movements
- they felt buddhism and traditional culture was being undermined
- dufferin (viceroy) launches a campaign of violent suppression and rebels were executed
- 40,000 british and indian soliders were brought in to fight the campaign
- the british successfully fight this challenge to power and secure burma
(don’t leave until 1948)
consequences of the berlin conference
- formation of the INTERNATIONAL AFRICAN ASSOCIATION 1879 to co-ordinate european efforts
- increasing expansion efforts by other european powers (ie france enter west sudan from senegal) (resulted in pressure for berlin conference)
who was henry morton stanley
- an explorer and missionary
- he established close ties with leopold, signing 450 treaties to assert control over the congo in 1885 for belgium
