|
The ''Entente Cordiale'' ((:ɑ̃tɑ̃t kɔʁdjal)) was a series of agreements signed on 8 April 1904 between Great Britain and France which saw a significant improvement in Anglo-French relations.〔 Margaret Macmillan, ''The War That Ended Peace: The Road to 1914'' (2013) ch 6〕 Beyond the immediate concerns of colonial expansion addressed by the agreement, the signing of the Entente Cordiale marked the end of almost a thousand years of intermittent conflict between the two states and their predecessors, and replaced the ''modus vivendi'' that had existed since the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815 with a more formal agreement. The Entente Cordiale, along with the Anglo-Russian Entente and the Franco-Russian Alliance, later became part of the Triple Entente among Britain, France, and Russia.〔A.J.P. Taylor, ''The Struggle for Mastery in Europe, 1848-1918'' (1954) pp 408-17〕 The agreement settled many long-standing issues. France recognized British control over Egypt, while Britain reciprocated regarding France in Morocco. France gave up its exclusive fishery rights on the French Shore of Newfoundland and in return received an indemnity and territory in The Gambia (Senegal) and Nigeria. Britain acknowledged the French customs régime in Madagascar. The respective spheres of influence were defined in Siam (Thailand).〔Taylor, ''The Struggle for Mastery in Europe, 1848-1918'' (1954) pp 417〕 == Background == The French term ''Entente Cordiale'' (usually translated as "cordial agreement" or "cordial understanding") comes from a letter written in 1843 by the British Foreign Secretary Lord Aberdeen to his brother, in which he mentioned "a cordial, good understanding" between the two nations. This was translated into French as ''Entente Cordiale'' and used by Louis Philippe I in the French Chamber that year.〔Quoted in Chamberlain, M. E., "Pax Britannica? British Foreign Policy 1789-1914" p.88 ISBN 0-582-49442-7〕 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 8 April 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 seek revenge for its defeat in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71. Britain 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.〔Taylor, ''The Struggle for Mastery in Europe, 1848-1918'' (1954) ch 15-16〕 The change had its roots in a British loss of confidence after 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. Britain decided not to join the Triple Alliance, broke off the negotiations with Berlin, and revived the idea of a British-French alliance.〔Taylor, ''The Struggle for Mastery in Europe, 1848-1918'' (1954) ch 17〕 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.〔 C. J. Lowe and M. L. Dockrill, ''The Mirage of Power; Vol. 1, British Foreign Policy 1902-14'' (1972) pp 1-28〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Entente Cordiale」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|