īritish Prime Minister Lord Salisbury once defined his foreign policy as "to float lazily downstream, putting out the occasional diplomatic boathook." He defined this as avoiding war with another Great Power, or combination of Powers, and securing communications with the Empire. Even after the League finally dissolved in 1887, Bismarck replaced it with the Reinsurance Treaty, a secret agreement with Russia to observe ' benevolent neutrality', in the event of an attack by France on Germany, or Austria-Hungary on Russia. When the French attempted to negotiate a Russian alliance in 1881, he persuaded Austria and Russia to join a reconstituted Dreikaiserbund. Unlike his successors, Bismarck viewed a war on two fronts as potentially fatal for Germany his key foreign policy aims were friendship with Russia, and the isolation of France. This became the Triple Alliance in 1882 with the addition of Italy. In 1878, the League collapsed due to competing Austrian and Russian aims in the Balkans, with Germany and Austria-Hungary forming the 1879 Dual Alliance. Bismarck and Salisbury Īfter the founding of the German Reich in 1871, German Chancellor Bismarck created the 1873 League of the Three Emperors, or Dreikaiserbund, between Austria-Hungary, Russia and Germany. The ports of Ostend, Antwerp and Zeebrugge were so important to ensuring control of the English Channel, Britain guaranteed Belgian independence, by military means if required. One exception was the 1839 Treaty of London, recognising the independence of Belgium, which led to Britain entering World War I in 1914. It is the duty of the Government of this country, placed as it is with regard to geographical position, to keep itself upon terms of goodwill with all surrounding nations, but not to entangle itself with any single or monopolising alliance with any one of them above all to endeavour not to interfere needlessly and vexatiously with the internal affairs of any foreign country. In 1866, the Foreign Secretary Lord Derby explained this policy as follows: įor much of the nineteenth century, Britain sought to maintain the existing balance of power in Europe, while protecting trade routes to its colonies and dominions, especially those connecting to British India through the Suez Canal. Europe's domain extends to the shores of the Atlantic, England's begins there. Non-intervention no European police system every nation for itself, and God for us all balance of power respect for facts, not for abstract theories respect for treaty rights, but caution in extending them. His principles dominated British foreign policy for decades, and have been summarised as follows Often assumed to apply only to the latter part of the century, some historians argue it originated after the 1822 Congress of Verona, when Britain withdrew from the post-1815 Concert of Europe, guided by Foreign Minister George Canning. Nineteenth-century British foreign policy was characterised by a reluctance to enter into permanent alliances with other Great Powers. There is considerable historical debate over the extent to which this approach was intentional or accidental, its impact, or even if it ever existed, other than as a useful phrase.įoreign Minister George Canning (1770–1827), reputed originator of the policy He indicated his approval for Britain's minimal involvement in European affairs by saying, "In these somewhat troublesome days when the great Mother Empire stands splendidly isolated in Europe." The term itself was coined in January 1896 by a Canadian politician, George Eulas Foster. As Europe was divided into two power blocs, Britain became aligned with the French Third Republic and the Russian Empire against the German Empire, Austria-Hungary and the Kingdom of Italy (The Triple Alliance). The concept developed as early as 1822, when Britain left the post-1815 Concert of Europe, and continued until the 1902 Anglo-Japanese Alliance and the 1904 Entente Cordiale with France. Splendid isolation is a term used to describe the 19th-century British diplomatic practice of avoiding permanent alliances, particularly under the governments of Lord Salisbury between 18. For the novel by Edna O'Brien, see House of Splendid Isolation. For the song by Warren Zevon, see Transverse City. For the album, see Splendid Isolation (album).
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