German Threat Was the End to Splendid Isolation

The Growing German threat was the most important author for Britain decisioning its policy of Splendid Isolation. How far do you agree? At original exami estate it would seem that it was non actually the veneration of Germany that prompted Britain to end their policy of splendid isolation if we take into consideration that this of worship of Germany merely really came to fruition in ab divulge 1905. How ever so it was before this that Britain had tough its so named policy of Splendid Isolation by signing an coalescence with japan in 1902 and thusly going on to form an entente with the French in 1904.Certainly there are indeed otherwisewise causal agencys other than the emerging German threat that might induce forced their hand, such as the emergence of coalescences all more or less the mankind which had begun to upset the balance of superpower (Franco Russian) this whitethorn view leftfield Britain look pushed into a corner somewhat so that they felt that they h ad no other choice scarcely to join an alliance so it was non left behind as its deliver level of sex act power returnd.Furthermore with the decrease of Britains level of relative power (it was easily being take by the US) scarce most notably Germany, the situation that a secern as impertinently as Germany could grow at such a rate made the British sit up and take note. And when in 1905 during the first Moroccan crisis it was the Germans who attempted to test the new bonds between the French and the British it demonstrated not only to Britain but to the world that the Germans wanted to carve out their own chunk of glory and they were not about to let anyone stand in their boot.It was indeed between the years 1906-14 when the Anglo-German oceanic race was to take place. It was during this succession that Germany drastically increased size of its navy, however this navy was only ever meant for short term purposes. Looking at it now it is obvious wherefore the level of B ritish Paranoia may be reaching breaking betoken at this time as a fleet of short say boats began to mass on her border, it demonstrated once once more that the Germans were determined to fail one of the great powers.It could however be argued that this naval race was secret code more than an inconvenience towarfareds the British as they in the end emphatically managed to build substantially more ships than the Germans. But it was to show once again that the Germans were without a doubt an up and coming nation and one that Britain must watch carefully and so it was here that the first feelings of fear of Germany were beginning to be felt. Moreover it was understood that the Germans did not actually ever want a war with the British and that the only reason for the assing of this fleet was as I have already said to inconvenience the British and indeed provide a reliable amount of leverage over them in terms of international personal matters and agreements, this began to scare B ritain, so much so that Britain it would seem began to move flat more out of the idea of Splendid Isolation when, in 1912 it came to a series of military agreements with the French and actually handed over dictation of the Mediterranean which actually included the main route to India for the British (The Suez canal).Although these agreements were not intended as a military alliance some historians have seen it as such, but there is no mistaking that it was definitely a move away from the policy of Splendid Isolation that Britain had previously adopted, and it would in like manner seem to be because of the fear of the every growing in power Germans. As Germany grew in power Britain began to realise that if it came to war that the only way in which Germany could be defeated is if Britain herself became involved with yet another alliance and so in 1907 it did this with Russia, thus forming the triple entente.I believe that if it was not for increase aggression of the Germans then Br itain would most probably have never had to forge this alliance which once again brought it forward out of its formerly adopted policy of Splendid Isolation. Although the fear of Germany was doubtless important another important incidentor in paying attention to the displace of the policy of Splendid isolation is the dropping of Britains level of relative power and also trade.The fact that other countries (USA and Germany in particular) were growing exponentially gave Britain cause for concern and she knew that sooner or later she would lose her conglomerate if she did not act, if she continued to operate this policy of splendid isolation then not only in time would her empire collapse around her, therefore severing any trade routes she may have had with them, but the other powers would also continue to grow until eventually they are advantageously stronger than her and Britain alone would be no match for Germany.Another important factor that we need to consider in all of this is of course the influence that the Boer war may have had on Britains foreign policy. And when Britain eventually did emerge from that war in 1902 she emerged exultant but it had settle at a bell and that cost was a great deal of pride. Although that they had in essence been victorious it is not to be forgotten that they had beaten some lowly people, not the great powers that they had defeated in the past.Britain had to pour huge amounts of resources into this war and this was to come at a massive cost as it was to leave her super vulnerable in other places around the world, not least in India. Moreover this links back to the fear of Germany because it was in actual fact the Germans who were angry at Britain for fighting the Boers, Indeed this helped to arrive the path of sour relations with Germany. Not only this but Britains industrial power was coming under increasing levels of threat, and although they still command the oceans it was only a matter of time before it was ca ught on that prior also.The seas became a contentious issue for Britain and around 1902 they realised that they would no durable be able to uphold a two power naval amount and the fear of Russia factored into this. The fact was that if Russia and Germany or Russia and France (Franco-Russian alliance) were to attack Britain at sea then her navy would be crushed. She was severely concerned about this fact and so sought the aforementioned alliance with Japan that would help her to hopefully keep both the Russians and the Germans at bay.It is clear that fear of Russian along with fear of the Germans was extremely high on the list of priorities of the change in direction of British foreign policy, which in the end culminated with their withdrawal from their so called insurance of Splendid isolation. Therefore I believe that although Britains fear of the growth of German power was significantly important in regard to them ending their policy of Splendid Isolation it is not the sole rea son but is the most important.The fact that they had been bragging(a)ly bruised by emerging with their bad victory in the Boer war and the fact that they could no longer outwear the financial strain of keeping a two power standard navy also meant that they had to drop that policy. And although it was indeed before the intervention of the German actions that the 1902 alliance with Japan and the 1904 entente with France, it is clear that the impact of the Germans was also extremely important if not more so than the Boer war, the fear of Russia and the fear of losing trade and the routes to India.