1. BRITISH FOREIGN POLICY
The crisis of Summer 1914
Why did Britain enter the Great War
against Germany in 1914 ?

2. Situation Foreign Policy 1914
• Beginning of 1914 there was no hint that a great war was
about to break out in Europe.
• In 1912 and 1913 two wars in the Balkans had been
settled ; Br/Gm relations seemed to be improving – they
settled problems over the Berlin-Baghdad railway , over
Portugal’s colonies and the Naval Race was ending.
• Br., was far more worried by the situation in Ireland in
1914 where civil war over Home Rule seemed likely.
• YET , on the 4th August 1914 Britain declared war on
Germany and the terrible First World War began.

3. The Timetable of War
• No sign of a great war in early 1914 – crisis blew up suddenly
in July 1914
• Murder of the heir to the Austrian Throne by Serbians in
Sarajevo in late June 1914 sparked off an international crisis.
• 28th July Austria declared war on Serbia
• Russia, Serbia’s ally began to mobilise her army on 30th July
• Germany , Austria’s ally and in accordance with the Schlieffen
Plan, declared war on Russia on 1st August.
• France, Russia’s ally, went to war with Germany on the 3rd
August . On the 3rd the Germans invaded neutral belgium in
accordance with their war plans for over-running northern
France.
• What should Britain do ?

4. Br.,’s Foreign Policy position 1914
• Even in July 1914 Br., had no alliance with France
or against Germany. The Anglo-Japanese Alliance
of 1902 was Br., only formal commitment and that
was directed against Russia and anyway was limited.
• Br., had signed the 1839 treaty guaranteeing
Belgium’s neutrality but she was only bound by it if
she acted collectively with Fr., and Gmy which
technically could not happen in August 1914.
• Towards France she had perhaps moral commitments
– the 1904 entente ; a series of agreements on military
and naval co-operation should War occur , but no
formal alliance. Br., could have stayed neutral .

5. Towards Germany
• By 1914 the ‘ Naval Race ‘ with Germany was ending. The
Royal Navy had kept its superiority of numbers over the
German High Seas Fleet.
• Between 1912 and 1914 Anglo-German relations had
improved. Br and Gm had settled disputes over the Berlin-
Baghdad railway and over Portuguese colonies in Africa.
• The two Balkan wars of 1912 and 1913 had not led to a
European War
• Some historians believe that Br was becoming more worried
by Russia which had recovered form its defeat by Japan in
1905 and might once again threaten Br India.
• So when Gmy went to war with Russia and France at the
beginning of August 1914 it was not yet certain that Br would
enter.

6. Arguments in 1914 i
• Some Liberals took the view that Br., should not
become involved in the Great War. They argued that
Br., had no formal alliance with Fr or Rs., and that as in
1870 Br., should stay neutral.
• Newspapers like The Manchester Guardian felt that the
murder of an Austrian Archduke by the Serbs was not
Br., business ; and that we were not absolutely bound to
defend Belgium since the 1839 Treaty was a ‘ collective
‘ one. It gave Br. a right, but not a duty to intervene.
• Even the Liberal Cabinet was divided right into August
1914.

7. Arguments in 1914 ii
• The Cabinet could have got out of the Belgian Treaty but it
proved a convenient excuse for going to War with Gmy.
Provided a moral case for entering and it helped unite Govt.,
Parl., and country behind the War. Grey did not want to take a
divided Br into a major war – the Gm invasion of Belgium helped
unite Britain.
• More important though was the fear that if France were to be
defeated and Gmy seized the Channel ports of Fr and Belgium ,
then with her Navy and a great Army , Gmy could invade Britain.
• Also important was the realisation that if Fr and Rs were defeated
, then Gmy would dominate Europe and the ‘ balance of power ‘
would be upset.
• Br’s ‘ national interests ‘ could not allow her to stay neutral in
1914. She could not afford to allow a Gm defeat of France
without endangering herself.

8. Britain’s National Interests
• Europe :
• Prevent Europe being dominated by one Power by
preserving the ‘ balance of power ‘ in Europe.
• Keep the part of Europe closest to Britain- Belgium and
northern France out of the control of any big Power.
• Naval control of the Channel, North Sea and
Mediterranean . Naval Supremacy to defend UK + Empire.
• Overseas :
• Control sea routes to India and Australia i.e. Med., Suez ,
• Keep Russia from threatening India , Middle and Far
East
• Remain World’s greatest Naval Power

9. Arguments in 1914 iii
• The plain fact was that if Gmy did defeat France and
Russia then all of Br’s national interest would be
threatened
• Gmy would dominate Europe
• The balance of power would be destroyed
• Gm would control the Europ., coastline nearest Br
• Gm Navy would threaten Br’s control of the seas
• Br had to keep the Gm Navy out of the Channel and the
Gm Army out of the Channel ports.
• Putting all these fears together the Cabinet –and most Br
opinion – decided in 1914 that Br must intervene to prevent a
Gm victory. Far more was at stake than just the neutrality of
Belgium.

10. Debate on Grey’s F.Policy i
• Sir Edward Grey was Br. Foreign Secretary from 1906 to
1914. Both at the time , and since , his foreign policy
has been much debated.
• CASE AGAINST GREY : Two – opposite –
criticisms have been made
• Should have committed Br.,to an alliance with France
and Russia not just an Entente. Had done so Germany
might have been deterred from risking war in 1914.
• Should have kept Br., out of ententes and naval
agreements with France so that Br., was completely free
of any European responsibilities in 1914. As it was the
‘understandings’ with Fr dragged Br into war.

11. Debate on Grey’s F.Policy ii
• CASE FOR GREY i:
• A full alliance might have encouraged Fr and Rs to
have attacked Gmy so making war more likely not less.
Anyway Grey would probably not have had Cabinet or
Parliamentary support for an actual alliance.
• Br could not have stood by in 1914 with the prospect of
a Gm Army in Belgium and n. France so close to Br
shores and especially not with Gmy now having a large
Navy threatening Br in the North Sea and Channel.
• The army and navy talks with Fr before 1914 allowed
Br to be more effective in 1914 and helped frustrate the
Gm plan to win the Great War quickly.

12. Debate on Grey’s F.Policy iii
• Conclusion :
• Gmy anyway had her own reasons for war in
1914 whatever Grey had done.
• Still – Grey’s famous remark in August 1914
shows his disappointment at not being able to
avoid war “ Roll up that map of Europe-we
shall not need it again”.