Entente Cordiale
Signed | 8 April 1904 |
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Signatories | |
Languages | French, English |
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Events leading to World War I |
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The Entente Cordiale (French pronunciation: [ɑ̃tɑ̃t kɔʁdjal]; lit. 'Cordial Agreement') comprised a series of agreements signed on 8 April 1904 between the United Kingdom and the French Republic which saw a significant improvement in Anglo-French relations. On the surface, the agreement dealt with minor issues related to fishing and colonial boundaries. Egypt was recognized as part of Britain's sphere of influence, and Morocco as part of France's. The Entente was not a formal alliance and did not involve close collaboration, nor was it intended to be directed against Germany. However, it paved the way for a stronger relationship between France and Britain in the face of German aggression. It should not be mistaken for the official Anglo-French military alliance, which was only established after the outbreak of World War I in 1914.[1]
The main colonial agreement was the recognition that
In long-term perspective, the Entente Cordiale marked the end of almost a thousand years of
Background
The French term Entente Cordiale (usually translated as "cordial agreement" or "cordial understanding") comes from a letter written in 1843 by the British Foreign Secretary Lord Aberdeen to his brother, in which he mentioned "a cordial, good understanding" between the two nations. This was translated into French as Entente Cordiale and used by Louis Philippe I in the French Chamber of Peers that year.[3] When used today the term almost always denotes the second Entente Cordiale, that is to say, the written and partly secret agreement signed in London between the two powers on 8 April 1904.
The agreement was a change for both countries. France had been isolated from the other European powers, in part because of the destruction of the Napoleonic Wars, threat of liberalism and perceived recklessness in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71. German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck also managed to estrange France from potential allies, as it was thought that France might seek revenge for its defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, reverse its territorial losses and continue to press for the conquest of the Saar and territories in the Ruhr. Britain had maintained a policy of "splendid isolation" on the European continent for nearly a century, intervening in continental affairs only when it was considered necessary to protect British interests by limiting the power of other countries, such as Russia in the Balkans, or supporting the creation of Belgium to weaken the Netherlands and create a buffer between France and the German states. The situation for Britain and France changed in the last decade of the 19th century.[4]
The change had its roots in a British loss of confidence after the Second Boer War and a growing fear of the strength of Germany. As early as March 1881, the French statesman Léon Gambetta and the Prince of Wales, Albert Edward, met at the Château de Breteuil to discuss an alliance against Germany. The Scramble for Africa prevented the countries from coming to terms, however. On the initiative of Colonial Secretary Joseph Chamberlain, there were three rounds of British-German talks between 1898 and 1901. The British decided not to join the Triple Alliance, broke off the negotiations with Berlin, and revived the idea of a British-French alliance.[5]
When the
Documents signed
The Entente was composed of three documents:
- The first and most important document was the Declaration respecting Egypt and Morocco. In return for the French promising not to "obstruct" British actions in Egypt, the British promised to allow the French to "preserve order ... and provide assistance" in Morocco. Free passage through the Suez Canal was guaranteed, finally putting the Convention of Constantinople into force, and the erection of fortifications on part of the Moroccan coast forbidden. The treaty contained a secret annex dealing with the possibility of "changed circumstances" in the administration of either of the two countries.
- The second document dealt with River Niger(present-day Niger and Nigeria).
- The final declaration concerned Siam (Menam (Chao Phraya) River basin; in turn, the French recognised a proposed British influence over the territory to the west of the Menam basin. Both parties eventually disclaimed any idea of annexing Siamese territory. The British withdrew their objection to the French introducing a tariff in Madagascar. The parties came to an agreement which would "put an end to the difficulties arising from the lack of jurisdiction over the natives of the New Hebrides".[8]
Aftermath
It is unclear what exactly the Entente meant to the British
Such commentary however proved spurious, for the Triple Alliance collapsed as a result of Italy remaining neutral at the outbreak of World War I, while the Entente endured.
Commemoration
The 100th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale in 2004 was marked by a number of official and unofficial events, including a state visit to France in April by Queen Elizabeth II, and a return visit by President Jacques Chirac in November. British troops (the band of the Royal Marines, the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, the Grenadier Guards and the King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery) also led the Bastille Day parade in Paris for the first time, with the Red Arrows flying overhead.
At both London Waterloo International and Paris Gare du Nord, the flags of United Kingdom and of France were depicted, connected with the words 'Entente cordiale' superimposed on posters. Some French political leaders had complained[10] about the name "Waterloo" for the destination of trains from Paris, because the London terminus is named after the 1815 battle in which a British-led alliance defeated Napoleon's army, and in 1998 French politician Florent Longuepée wrote to British Prime Minister Tony Blair demanding, without success, that the name be changed.[10][11] However, in November 2007 St Pancras International became the new London terminus for the Eurostar service.
Entente Cordiale Scholarships
The name "Entente Cordiale" is used for the Entente Cordiale Scholarships scheme, a selective Franco-British scholarship scheme which was announced on 30 October 1995 by British Prime Minister John Major and French President Jacques Chirac at an Anglo-French summit in London.[12] It provides funding for British and French students to study for one academic year on the other side of the Channel. The scheme is administered by the French embassy in London for British students,[13] and by the British Council in France and the British embassy in Paris for French students.[14][15] Funding is provided by the private sector and foundations. The scheme aims to foster mutual understanding and to promote exchanges between the British and French leaders of tomorrow. The programme was initiated by Sir Christopher Mallaby, British ambassador to France between 1993 and 1996.[16]
See also
- Anglo-French Supreme War Council
- France–United Kingdom relations
- Auld Alliance
- British military history
- Causes of World War I
- Diplomatic history of World War I
- Diplomatic history of World War II
- Entente (disambiguation)
- Entente frugale
- Foreign relations of France
- Franco-British Council
- Franco-British Union
- French entry into World War I
- History of the foreign relations of the United Kingdom
- International relations of the Great Powers (1814–1919)
References
- ^ Margaret Macmillan, The War That Ended Peace: The Road to 1914 (2013) ch 6
- ^ A.J.P. Taylor, The Struggle for Mastery in Europe, 1848–1918 (1954) pp 408–17
- ISBN 0-582-49442-7
- ^ Taylor, The Struggle for Mastery in Europe, 1848–1918 (1954) ch 15–16
- ^ Taylor, The Struggle for Mastery in Europe, 1848–1918 (1954) ch 17
- ^ "Entente Cordiale (European history) – Britannica Online Encyclopedia". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 8 March 2010.
- ^ C. J. Lowe and M. L. Dockrill, The Mirage of Power; Vol. 1, British Foreign Policy 1902–14 (1972) pp 1–28
- ^ Minton F. Goldman, "Franco-British Rivalry over Siam, 1896–1904." Journal of Southeast Asian Studies 3.2 (1972): 210–228.
- ISBN 978-0-521-21347-9
- ^ a b "Waterloo insult to French visitors". BBC News. 6 November 1998. Retrieved 21 June 2007.
- ^ Webster, Ben (12 March 2004). "Passengers ready for a second battle of Waterloo". The Times. London. Retrieved 10 April 2008.
- ISBN 0-9540118-2-1.
- ^ http://www.ambafrance-uk.org/spip.php?page=mobile_art&art=13690 Archived 23 February 2013 at archive.today Entente Cordiale scholarships on the website of the French Embassy in London
- ^ http://www.britishcouncil.fr/en/studyuk/entente-cordiale-apply Entente Cordiale scholarships on the website of the British Council France
- ^ http://ukinfrance.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/working-with-france/entente-cordiale/ Entente Cordiale scholarships on the website of the British embassy in France
- ^ Wilson, Iain (2010). Are International Exchange and Mobility Programmes Effective Tools of Symmetric Public Diplomacy? (PDF). Aberystwyth University. p. 52. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
Further reading
- Andrew, Christopher. Théophile Delcassé and the making of the Entente Cordiale: A reappraisal of French Foreign Policy 1898–1905 (1968)
- Andrew, Christopher. "France and the Making of the Entente Cordiale." Historical Journal 10#1 (1967): 89–105. online.
- Bell, P. M. H. France and Britain, 1900–1940: Entente and Estrangement (1996).
- Capet, Antoine, ed. Britain, France and the entente cordiale since 1904 (Springer, 2006).
- Hargreaves, J. D. "The Origin of the Anglo-French Military Conversations in 1905." History 36.128 (1951): 244–248. online
- Hargreaves, J. D. "Entente Manquee: Anglo-French Relations, 1895–1896." Cambridge Historical Journal 11#1 (1953): 65–92. online.
- Hennlichová, Marcela. "The Royal Visit to Paris and the Presidential Visit to London in 1903 — An Icebreaker of the Public Opinion or a Milestone in the History of the Entente Cordiale?" "Prague Papers on the History of International Relations" 1 (2019): 38–53. online
- Keiger, J.F.V. France and the World since 1870 (2001) pp 115–17, 164–68
- Langer, William L. The Diplomacy of Imperialism, 1890–1902 (1951).
- Macmillan, Margaret. The War That Ended Peace: The Road to 1914 (2013) ch 6
- Rolo, P. J. V. Entente Cordiale: the origins and negotiation of the Anglo-French agreements of 8 April 1904. Macmillan/St Martin's Press, London 1969.
- Šubrtová, Marcela. "Great Britain and France on the Way to the Entente Cordiale." Prague Papers on the History of International Relations 1 (2014): 79–97. online
- Šubrtová, Marcela. "The Anglo-French Rapprochement and the Question of Morocco." West Bohemian Historical Review 2 (2016): 213–241 online
- Taylor, A.J.P. The Struggle for Mastery in Europe, 1848–1918 (1954) online free
- Williamson, Samuel R. The politics of grand strategy: Britain and France prepare for war, 1904–1914 (1990).
External links
- Entente cordiale
- First declaration of the Entente cordiale including secret articles
- A statistical commemoration of the Entente Cordiale published jointly by the British and French Ministries of Defence (British MOD text, bilingual)
- A statistical commemoration of the Entente Cordiale published jointly by the British and French Ministries of Defence (French MOD text, bilingual)