Entente cordiale

History

The French term Entente-Cordiale (usually translated as "cordial agreement" or "cordial understanding") was first used in English in 1844 (according to the OED) to denote recognition of common interests between the United Kingdom and France. When used today the term almost always denotes the second Entente Cordiale, that is to say the written and partly secret agreement signed in London between the two powers on April 8, 1904.

The agreement was a change for both countries. France had been isolated from the other European powers, mostly as a result of the efforts of German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck to estrange France from potential allies, as it was thought that France might possibly seek revenge for its defeat in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71. The United Kingdom had maintained a policy of "splendid isolation" on the European continent for nearly a century, intervening in continental affairs only when it was considered necessary to protect British interests and to maintain the continental balance of power. The situation for both countries changed in the last decade of the 19th century.

The change had its roots in a British loss of confidence after the humiliations experienced during their prolonged victory in the Second Boer War, and a growing fear that the country was isolated in the face of a potentially aggressive Germany. As early as March 1881, the French statesman Léon Gambetta and the then-Prince of Wales, Albert Edward, met at the Château de Breteuil to discuss an alliance against Germany. The Scramble for Africa prevented the countries from coming to terms, however. On the initiative of Colonial Secretary Joseph Chamberlain, there were three rounds of British-German talks between 1898 and 1901. After Albert Edward became King Edward VII, he declined to accede to the Triple Alliance, broke off the negotiations with Berlin, and revived the idea of a British-French alliance. When the Russo-Japanese War was about to erupt, France and Britain found themselves on the verge of being dragged into the conflict on the side of their respective allies. France was firmly allied with Russia, while Britain had recently signed the Anglo-Japanese Alliance. In order to avoid going to war, both powers "shucked off their ancient rivalry" and resolved their differences in Africa, the Americas, Asia, and the Pacific. Toward this end, French foreign minister Théophile Delcassé, and Lord Lansdowne, the British Foreign Secretary, negotiated an agreement on colonial matters, and Lord Lansdowne and Paul Cambon, the French Ambassador to Britain, signed the resulting convention on 8 April 1904. However, it is far from clear what exactly the Entente meant to the British Foreign Office. For example, in early 1911 following French press reports contrasting the virility of the Triple Alliance with the moribund state of the Entente Eyre Crowe minuted: The fundamental fact of course is that the Entente is not an alliance. For purposes of ultimate emergencies it may be found to have no substance at all. For the Entente is nothing more than a frame of mind, a view of general policy which is shared by the governments of two countries, but which may be, or become, so vague as to lose all content.

The documents signed

Commemoration

In both London Waterloo International and Paris Gare du Nord, the flags of the United Kingdom and of France are depicted connected with the words 'Entente cordiale' superimposed on posters. However a number of French political leaders had complained about the name "Waterloo" for the destination of trains from Paris because the British terminus is named after the 1815 battle where a British-led alliance defeated Napoleon's army. In 1998, French politician Florent Longuepée wrote to the then British Prime Minister Tony Blair demanding, without success, that the name be changed. As of November 2007 this has been removed as St Pancras International became the new London terminus for the Eurostar service.

During his March 2008 summit with Prime Minister Gordon Brown, French President Nicolas Sarkozy called for a stronger entente amicale ("friendly understanding") between the two nations in a speech before the House of Commons. Brown, in turn, called for an entente formidable ("formidable understanding"), emphasizing military cooperation between the United Kingdom and France and possibly indicating an interest in European military integration and strengthening the Common Foreign and Security Policy of the European Union.

The 'entente cordial' remains a significant factor in both countries' diplomacy in the 21st century, manifesting itself in the 'Defence and Security Co-operation Treaty' signed by President Sarkozy and Prime Minister Cameron on the 2nd of November 2010. This treaty formed a joint Anglo-French military capability and recognised the shared strategic interests of the two nations as well as the fiscal reality that neither of the former great powers could maintain a globally significant military alone.

See also

Notes

External links

Category:1904 in France Category:1904 in the United Kingdom Category:20th-century military alliances Category:British Empire in World War I Category:Edwardian era Category:France – United Kingdom relations Category:France in World War I Category:French Third Republic Category:History of the United Kingdom Category:Modern Europe Category:Treaties concluded in 1904 Category:Treaties entered into force in 1904 Category:Treaties of the United Kingdom Category:Treaties of the French Third Republic