Splendid Isolation - Change

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After the 1871 unification of the German Empire, Bismarck sought alliances with other European powers to prevent France's revenge. Successful alliances began with the Dreikaiserbund and Dual Alliance, 1879. The Triple Alliance was formed in 1882, the signing countries being Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy.

The rise of Germany in both industrial and military terms alarmed Britain though there was an appreciation by British policy makers that under Bismarck the country was largely a status quo power. It was not until the naval aspirations of Germany under the guidance of the German Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz in the years following Bismarck's fall that Whitehall became especially alarmed. After the Triple Intervention in China, leading politicians, such as Joseph Chamberlain questioned the policy of remaining free of formal alliances. On the other side of the world, the Triple Intervention also deeply humiliated Japan, which also realised that a strong ally in Europe was needed for the world to recognise its status as a power.

At the core of Salisbury's policy was a desire to avoid war with another great power or combination of powers and thus ensure that Britain's lines of communications with its Empire remained secure. The main threat of war came from Russia and there was concern that she would seize the Straits and Constantinople and threaten Britain's communication to India, something Britain had almost gone to war with Russia during the Great Eastern Crisis to prevent. Despite this, this seizure of Egypt in 1882 had changed the situation and over the next few decades, as attempts to get out of Egypt on favourable terms failed, the focus on the Straits declined. Nevertheless, the maintenance of the status quo in the Mediterranean was hugely desirable and the result was the First Mediterranean Agreement with Italy and Austria-Hungary by which they pledged to act in concert with each other in times of crisis. The Second Mediterranean Agreement, concluded 12 December 1887, was even more specific in its aims, though it still had no binding agreements which meant that it did not need to be laid before Parliament.

The importance of these agreements was that Salisbury was able to align British policy with that of Germany, without having to enter a formal alliance. Through them he was able to maintain an understanding with the German Chancellor, Bismarck to solve mutual problems, with Bismarck being a useful counterweight to French meddling in Egypt, and Britain being a useful ally of Austria-Hungary, thus meaning Bismarck did not have to choose between his two allies, Russia and Austria-Hungary, when they were at odds in the Balkans. This policy broke down with the fall of Bismarck though and the increasing alarm at the unstable behaviour of the new German emperor, Wilhelm II. With rising German hostility and naval expansion, and the Dual Alliance between France and Russia the result was that Britain's politicians became more concerned with the international situation.

With Kaiser Wilhelm intent on ending 'Britain's free ride on the coat-tails of the Triple Alliance' and the clearer descent into two power blocs Britain faced the stark choice of remaining isolated or acceding to one of these alliances. Britain had come close to war with European powers at the turn of the 20th century. For instance, the Fashoda Crisis in 1898, while a diplomatic victory for Britain, was a worrying situation as had war broken out, she would have had to fight France alone, and there was always the possibility of Russian intervention on France's side. Because of her small army, she would have had to rely on her navy. There was also always the fear of war with Russia over Russian expansionism in Central Asia (see: The Great Game) and also a lesser fear of war with the United States, who opposed a British quarrel with Venezuela over the mutual border with British Guiana.