Britain foreign policy 1870 1914

British Foreign Policy 1870 - 1914: A Summary

The main aims of British foreign insurance were

1. To maintain the balance of spot in europium and to forestall one country or group of countries neat too powerful. Traditionally France was seen as the main threat in this regard e.g. Napoleon.

2. To entertain its naval superiority over e very other European country. The British army was small and her power rested on the strength of her navy that was the largest in the world. It was this ratiocination that led to a serious breakdown of relations with Germany as she built up her navy to rival the British one.

3. To protect and expand her colonial Empire. France was traditionally her rival.

4. To defend the sea routes to India (Suez epithelial duct and South Africa) and to prevent landward encroachment towards the subcontinent by Russia.

5. To prevent Turkey from collapsing and Russia expanding her influence in the Balkans at Turkeys expense.

During the 1880s and mid-nineties Britain had pursued a policy of avoiding alliances that involved any sort out of military commitments. This policy was known as Splendid closing off and it was most associated with the figure of Lord Salisbury, prime-minister for most of this period.

However the Boer War (1899-1902) had opened Britains lack of a reliable ally and proved she had very few friends.



This allied to the growing might of Germany, caused Britain to abandon her policy of isolation.

In 1902 she formed an alliance with Japan mainly directed against Russia. In 1904 she settled her colonial differences with France and the Entente Cordiale was formed.

Partly as a firmness of French encouragement she did the same with Russia in 1907. This alliance in the midst of the three nations became known as the Triple Entente only as Joll notes relations...

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