Explain briefly why Britain entered into entente with France in 1904

        In the short term Britain was concerned that the country which was her most natural ally in Europe, Germany seemed to be distancing herself and challenging Britain in key areas. The Conservative government had become concerned about Britain’s declining trade. Germany was becoming an important trading nation selling the same goods as Britain. The Germans were building up their armed forces, especially the navy. Their Dreadnoughts seemed to be a direct challenge to Britain. The German expansion in Africa was a threat to existing British territories.

        Relations with France had been even worse. The French felt that they had been betrayed over Egypt. They had grown close to Russia. Britain had become unpopular with everyone – this was seen in the extent of international support for the Boers in their war against the British.

        In the short term Salisbury felt that Britain was becoming irrelevant in the tensions that were building up between the two European alliances. France and Germany were in dispute over Alsace-Lorraine and Morocco. Austria and Russia were competing for control of the new Balkan states. Salisbury did not want such a war to start – it would interfere with trade at a crucial time.

        So Salisbury decided that an alliance with the weaker of the two alliances might put off the clashes towards which Europe seemed to be heading. The Entente Cordiale was much less formal than an alliance. It did not commit Britain to support for France in war, but it improved the poor relations Britain and France had over Africa. On top of this it was a warning that the Triple Alliance would need to be careful.