Entente Cordiale

French: cordial agreement. 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.