Splendid isolation

Splendid isolation was a policy by which Britain was not involved in European
affairs in the second half of the 19 th century. Since the Berlin congress of 1878, no
interest was shown by Britain in European affairs with a view to carry out her
overseas expansion (colonization). This would continue as long as Bismarck
remained a chancellor of Germany. But after his dismissal, his successor court
Caprivi and theory Germany officials were hostile towards Britain. Therefore at
the beginning of the 20th century, Britain abandoned the policy of splendid
isolation.
How Britain followed the policy of splendid isolation.
1. Britain followed the policy of splendid isolation because she wanted to
concentrate on overseas expansion that is acquiring of colonies in Africa and Asia.
2. Due to the industrial revolution, Britain felt self sufficient economically that she
needed no economical allies hence remained isolated.
3. Militarily Great Britain was a super power she had the largest navy hence the
master of the sea. Having the largest army, submarine and navy, she needed no
military allies.
4. As long as Bismarck remained the Germany chancellor peace prevailed in
Europe hence Britain saw no need of having allies in case of war.
5. Geographically, Britain is an island kingdom hence she thought of isolating
herself from continental Europe.
6. After the congress of Berlin of 1878, Britain released that if she got much
involved in European affairs. She would create more enemies for herself.

Factors that led Britain to abandon this policy of splendid isolation

1. Kaiser William II’s aggressive altitude towards Britain. In 1888, Fredrick William
I died and he was succeeded by a young and excited Kaiser II in 1890, he
dismissed Bismarck because he disliked his foreign policy of isolating France. In
1895during the Jameson raid in South Africa which ended by the defeat of the
British by the Boers. Kaiser William II sent a telegraph to Paul Kruger the president
of Transvaal by then to congratulate him for defeating the Britain. The Kruger’s
telegram clearly demonstrated that Germany was against Britain.
2. Naval competition
 Between 1898 and 1900, Germany was engaged in a naval program aimed at
reducing the naval gap between Britain and Germany. Being a master of the sea,
Britain felt that as a challenge.
3. Retirement of British colonial secretary Lord Salisbury who supported this
policy of splendid isolation
4. The death of Queen Victoria, who was friendly to Germany but her successor
Edwards William II hated Germany and supported France.
5. Colonial rivalry; Britain faced colonial dispute with other powers in Europe.
For example Britain’s interest in the Far East in Asia was challenged by Russia and
Japan. 9 for example conflicts between Russia and Britain over Persia, Afghanistan
and Tibet). In 1893 there was another colonial clash between Britain and France
over Sudan called the Fashoda incident, there was also the Egyptian crisis in 1881
and the Moroccan crisis in 1905.

The Fashoda incident-1893

Sudan was under the control of put at the same time Egypt was a colony of
Britain. The Sudanese army defeated the Egyptians. Britain who saw herself the
protector of Egypt sent General Gordon to solve the problem but he was killed at
Khartoum in 1885. To revenge Gordon’s death and restore British prestige the
British government sent lord Kitchener in 1896 to invade Sudan and he succeeded
in defeating Sudan in 1898 and ruled it as a Anglo-Egyptian government.
A week after information reached Kitchener that the French troops had marched
into Fashoda a town in the upper Nile under merchant and hosted the French flag
in Fashoda. Lord Kitchener marched into Fashoda and asked the French to leave
the place because Egypt depended on the Nile to irrigate their crops. France was
not willing to fight against Britain so they withdrew from Fashoda. After
withdrawing from the Fashoda the British renamed the place as Kodak so that no
Frenchmen will be reminded of it.
The Egyptian crisis
In 1881 Arabi Pasha staged a national uprising against the Anglo-French financial
control of Egypt and the weak government of Tawyik-Ismail. His people attacked
foreign personal and property and demanded for Egypt to be free fro foreign
intervention. To protect their property and personal, the British government
bombarded Alexandria and defeated pasha. In 1882, Britain declared Egypt her
protectorate and expelled the French form Egypt to the displeasure f France. This
became a source of friction between the two countries. The friction was resolved
in the Anglo-French entente of 1904 where France recognized the interest of
Britain in Egypt.

The Moroccan crisis

To test the strength of the Anglo-French entente of 1904, Germany landed in
Morocco in 1905 and recognized the independence of the Moroccan ruler, the
Sultan. This resulted in the tangier crisis. Germany and France were almost going
to war the Algeciras conference was convened in Spain. The outcome of the
conference was that Germany recognized the special political rights of France.
France recognized some economic freedom of Germany in morocco.

Britain after abandoning the policy of Splendid Isolation.

After abandoning her policy of splendid isolation, Britain started looking for allies.
Germany was the first one to be approached twice in 1898 and 1901 but he
refused Britain never wanted to be friend her former enemies over colonies.
France over Egypt and Sudan‘s Fashoda incident and Russia over Persia, Tibet and
Afghanistan.
In 1902, Britain signed the Anglo-French alliance; it was signed between Britain
and japan. After the Russo-Japanese war 1900-1901 in which Russia was
defeated. Japan was proved strong in the Far East. By this alliance Japan promised
Britain to protect her interest in the Far East. In return Britain promised Japan to
support her if war broke out between her and Russia.

After the settlement of the Fashoda incidence, Britain and France started to
negotiation over Egypt and morocco. In 1904 they signed an agreement known as
the Anglo-French Entente Cordial meaning ‘friendship agreement’. By this
agreement France recognized Egypt as a British sphere of influence ‘British
colony’ in turn Britain also recognized morocco as a French sphere of
influence (French colony).
In 1907, Britain and Russia settled their difference in the Far East, i.e. over Persia.
This led to the signing of the Anglo-Russo alliance, this brought Russia closer to
both France and Britain. Eventually this gave birth to the Triple Entente of 1907.
Its members were Britain, France and Russia.
Through the system of alliances, Europe was divided into two camps that is the
triple Entente of 1907 comprising of France, Britain and Russia and the triple
alliance of 1882 comprised of Germany, Italy and Austria-Hungary.