British Culture - User contributions [en]

Entente Cordiale

2016-01-16T11:56:18Z

Larí Lará: /* Entente Cordiale */ new section

== Entente Cordiale ==

The ''Entente Cordiale'' (French: cordial agreement) was one of many agreements and alliances that were created before the outbreak of the First World War. Since the end of the 19th century European countries as well as Japan were looking for allies and partners in order to secure their political, colonial and economic interests in the world. The developments that preceded World War I were complicated and diverse with often changing partners and interests.

This agreement was worked out between Great Britain and France and meant a substantial improvement in their relationship. Before this was reached France was already in a military alliance with Russia that ensured their support for each other in case of a war; Britain had reached an alliance with Japan. However, this lead Japan to attack Russian in 1902, believing it had the support of the British. Great Britain on the other hand wanted desperately to avoid a war with both Russia and France, so they reached out to France and signed the Entente Cordiale on 8 April 1904.

The ''Entente Cordiale'' was not a military alliance, but merely an agreement on different political and colonial issues that the two countries worked out: Egypt was given to Great Britain, whereas Morocco was given to France; borders and frontiers of French and British colonies in Africa and Asia were defined (i.e. Nigeria, Siam, French Indochina, Burmese Tenasserim). Through this settlement the two states furthered an isolation of Germany while they reduced their own isolation and managed to calm many issues that had broken out over colonies and territories.

Although it was not thought of as a military alliance, the Entente Cordiale did pave the way for British military support, should the French be at war with Germany. This development was motivated through the German involvement in the First Morrocan Crisis also known as the Tangier Crisis. Through further crises, the Entente Cordiale was extended to the Triple Entente, now also including Russia, which was already in alliance with France.

'''Sources:'''

Angelow, Jürgen. ''Der Weg in die Urkatastrophe: Der Zerfall des alten Europa 1900-1914''. Berlin: be.bra verlag, 2010.

Rolo, P.J.V. ''Entente Cordiale: The Origins and Negotiation of the Anglo-French Agreements of 8 April 1904''. London: Macmillan and Co Ltd, 1969.

Turnpike Roads

2013-12-18T15:03:11Z

Larí Lará:

Turnpike roads were an essential part of the Revolution of Transport in the 18th century in England. Other than before, these roads were now built by private organizations, so called turnpike trusts. These organizations were usually a conglomeration of several merchants and/or landowners. Each of these organizations was established through a separate Act of Parliament, which gave the authority to collect tolls and mortgage debts, but at the same time prohibited that the trustees did not profit directly from these tolls and set a maximum level for those tolls.

These acts were always established in cycles, so that during any cycle a big amount of new roads could be built and so that also the transportation network could be improved. The biggest wave of new turnpike trusts and thus new turnpike roads was in the time of the 1750s and 1760s. After the last Acts of Parliament had been authorized by 1830, there were over 900 turnpike trusts managing about 20.000 miles of road.

Apart from building new roads, the turnpike trusts had the obligation to keep the roads in good shape and improve them whenever necessary with the money they made from the tolls. The tolls were collected at so called tollhouses, where they had fixed charges for every vehicle and traveler depending on the means of travel, the class of the traveler, and the duration and length of their travel.

Before turnpike trusts were given the task to build and improve roads, it was usually taken care of by local governments, i.e. local parishes. Thus turnpike trusts were not building an entirely new road network, but first of all used the already existing roads, improved these, but of course also added new roads.

Turnpike roads and turnpike trusts had an immense impact on the way and speed goods and people could now be transported throughout the country and were thus an important factor to the Industrial Revolution and the mass production of commodities.

Sources

Bogart, Dan. “Turnpike Trusts, Infrastructure Investment, and the Road Transportation Revolution in Eighteenth-Century England”. The Journal of Economic History 65 (2005): 540-543.

Buchanan, B.J. “The Evolution of the English Turnpike: Lessons from a Case Study”. The Economic History Review 39 (1986): 223-243.

Turnpike Roads

2013-12-18T15:02:48Z

Larí Lará: Created page with "Turnpike roads were an essential part of the Revolution of Transport in the 18th century in England. Other than before, these roads were now built by private organizations, so..."

Turnpike roads were an essential part of the Revolution of Transport in the 18th century in England. Other than before, these roads were now built by private organizations, so called turnpike trusts. These organizations were usually a conglomeration of several merchants and/or landowners. Each of these organizations was established through a separate Act of Parliament, which gave the authority to collect tolls and mortgage debts, but at the same time prohibited that the trustees did not profit directly from these tolls and set a maximum level for those tolls.

These acts were always established in cycles, so that during any cycle a big amount of new roads could be built and so that also the transportation network could be improved. The biggest wave of new turnpike trusts and thus new turnpike roads was in the time of the 1750s and 1760s. After the last Acts of Parliament had been authorized by 1830, there were over 900 turnpike trusts managing about 20.000 miles of road.

Apart from building new roads, the turnpike trusts had the obligation to keep the roads in good shape and improve them whenever necessary with the money they made from the tolls. The tolls were collected at so called tollhouses, where they had fixed charges for every vehicle and traveler depending on the means of travel, the class of the traveler, and the duration and length of their travel.

Before turnpike trusts were given the task to build and improve roads, it was usually taken care of by local governments, i.e. local parishes. Thus turnpike trusts were not building an entirely new road network, but first of all used the already existing roads, improved these, but of course also added new roads.

Turnpike roads and turnpike trusts had an immense impact on the way and speed goods and people could now be transported throughout the country and were thus an important factor to the Industrial Revolution and the mass production of commodities.

Sources

Bogart, Dan. “Turnpike Trusts, Infrastructure Investment, and the Road Transportation Revolution in Eighteenth-Century England”. The Journal of Economic History 65 (2005): 540-543.
Buchanan, B.J. “The Evolution of the English Turnpike: Lessons from a Case Study”. The Economic History Review 39 (1986): 223-243.