A Brief Discussion About Formation And Impact Of The Anglo-French Entente Of 1904

The Anglo-French Entente of 1904 has been a key turning point of the modern relationship between Britain and France, starting a new era for the two countries and making a strong impact on Europe and the whole world. This thesis, guided by the historical materialism, carries out a deep study and discussion on the Anglo-French Entente of 1904. The thesis is divided into three chapters.Chapter One discusses the background and origins of the Anglo-French Entente. Looking back on the history between Britain and France, we always see hostility and competition between the two countries, from hundred-year kindness and enmity, contending for hegemony, to the continuing fighting overseas. However, in late 19th and early 20th Century, France began to feel that it could continue its colonial aggrandizement only with support from Britain, while Britain got to know understandings between Britain and Russia could be reached on the basis of understandings between Britain and France, so as to get rid of Russia's threat on British India. Changes in diplomatic policy of the two countries provided possibility for the Anglo-French Entente.Chapter Two explains the process of the negotiations of the Anglo-French Entente. In July 1903, the talk between Foreign Ministers of Britain and France started the negotiations, which was hard and endless. The negotiation mainly concentrated on three issues: Morocco, Egypt and fishing rights in Newfoundland. There have been contradictions,struggles, twists and turns, and the British Foreign Minister Lansdowne even threat to end the negotiation. At long last, the Entente came into being after an agreement was reached on April 8,1904.Chapter Three analyzes the influences that Anglo-French Entente brings on relationship between the main European countries like Britain and France. After the Entente, Germany made the Morocco Crisis twice in 1905 and 1911, trying to shock the Anglo-French relationship. However, it turned out the relationship was never weakened, Britain and France grew to be more like military alliance, and the Anglo-French Entente gradually became the core of British diplomatic policy and a significant means to restrict German, to improve the Anglo-Russian relationship, and to keep peace in Europe. The Entente means so much to Britain that when in 1914 the Sarajevo Incident arose another crisis of war, and Europe was about to lose peace, Britain, intending to keep the Entente so as not to be isolated later, declared war against Germany and joined World War One.