Historica Olomucensia

Aspects of British-german Negotiations about an Alliance from the Year 1901

The aim of the study is to summarise several factors which greatly influenced the course of British-German relations on an alliance and at the same time explain the foundations for the actual emergence of these negotiations. Within the framework of the established goals, it maps out the situation of the British Empire at the turn of the twentieth century, while accenting the Imperial problems which Great Britain had to face. The Second Boer War, the outbreak of the Boxer Rebellion and the Fashoda Incident had an essential influence on these events. As a result of these above-mentioned events, Britain reached the conclusion that the politics of Splendid Isolation were no longer sustainable and began to seek out a suitable ally on the international scene. They considered several candidates, one of which was Germany. The negotiations fell apart due to different interests and views about the direction of internal development. The incompatibility of the views was most apparent in the approach to European politics where Germany wanted the involvement of Great Britain in the Triple Alliance, which was unacceptable for London. On the other side, Berlin refused to accept the steps to limit Russian influence on the Far East. The confusing diplomatic approach of Baron Eckardstein, first secretary of the German embassy in London, also contributed to the breakdown in negotiations.

Keywords: Splendid Isolation, Germany, Great Britain, Turn of the twentieth century, International policy, Concert of powers