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Fashoda Incident
The Fashoda Incident, the peak of a series of territorial disputes between France and Great Britain, took place in Eastern Africa (Fashoda, Egypt). Although the ultimate goals differed, the actions surrounded the expansion of their colonial possessions, specifically the Suez Canal.
The incident ended in a diplomatic victory of Britain, giving rise to the 'Fashoda syndrome', a French foreign policy that increased French's desire to dominate areas that were vulnerable to British control. -
Second Boer War
Also referred to as the South African War, the Boer War in 1899 was a lengthy conflict between the descendants of Dutch and Germans called "Boers" against the British.
It ended with British victory, leading to the annexation of both Boer republics (Orange Free State and Transvaal Republic). Lasting legacies of this war include the use of concentration camps on women and children for the first time by modern powers. -
Anglo-Japanese Alliance
The Anglo- Japanese Alliance was a five-year military alliance between Britain and Japan, in order to combat the fear of Russian expansion in the Far East. In response, Russia made efforts to create alliances with France and Germany, which Germany declined. Later, this mutual defense, established by the Anglo-Japanese Alliance, was the main reason why Japan joined World War I on the British side. -
Entente Cordiale
The Entente Cordiale, an agreement between Britain and France, was set under the circumstance that France will allow Britain to control Egpyt, and in return, Britain will help France gain Morocco as another colony to increase their control. This ended antagonisms between Britain and France, establishing a diplomatic understanding between the two countries. It sparked the cooperation between the two nations acting against Germany, prior to World War I. -
The First Moroccan Crisis
As one of the major long term causes of World War I, the First Moroccan Crisis destroyed the trust between the major European powers- Britain, France, and Germany. Starting off with France's claim in 1899 to gain control over Morocco, the animosity between Germany, who didn't want France to expand its sphere of influence, heated up. Even after numerous meetings Germany still didn't obtain what they wanted, as the Entente Cordiale only strengthened. -
Anglo-Russian Entente
The Anglo-Russian Entente was an agreement between Britain and Russia ending rivalries in Persia, Tibet, and Afghanistan (strategically the most important location due to the Khyber Pass).
As a result of this agreement, the disputes over Southern Asia were settled so that these strategic areas weren't the location of a war, as well as creating the Triple Entente. Moreover, with this deal Britain, France, Russia, and Japan all had political relationships while Germany was left alone. -
The Bosnian Crisis
During the lengthy negotiations regarding the annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Russia objected due to the fact that the takeover would eventually spread into Serbia and other nations, cutting their access of naval ships into the respective areas. To stir up negative emotions against Austria-Hungary, Russia claimed to annex Bosnia-Herzegovina as a territorial compensation. Irked by such action, Germany supported Austria-Hungary, eventually forcing Russia to recede.
