Germany+v.+France

=​Colonial Rivalry=

//'Place in the Sun'// Speech.
The “Place in the Sun” speech was by Wilhelm II in 1901 to the North German Regatta Association. The speech was translated into English in 1915 so that it could be put into the book //The German Kaiser as showing in His Public Utterances//. In the speech Wilhelm says that he wants more German land so that he can have his own //‘Place in the Sun’// as other countries have their own. The first and the most important part of his speech reads: // In spite of the fact that we have no such fleet as we should have, we have conquered for ourselves a place in the sun. It will now be my task to see to it that this place in the sun shall remain our undisputed possession // Wilhelm II obtained he 'Place in the sun' and planned to develop both industry and agriculture

Anglo-French = Sphere of influence.
In the field of international relations, a // sphere of influence ( // region in organisation with significant cultural, economic, military or political influence) A country within the "sphere of influence" of another more powerful country may become a subsidiary of that state and serve in effect as a satellite state or de facto colony. The system of spheres of influence by which powerful nations intervene in the affairs of others continues to the present day. It is often analyzed in terms of superpowers, great powers, and/or middle powers. The **Anglo-Russian Entente** or the **Anglo-Russian Convention of 1907** was an accord signed on 31 August 1907  in St. Petersburg by Count Alexander Izvolsky, Foreign Minister of the Russian Empire , and Sir Arthur Nicolson , Britain 's ambassador in Russia.

The convention capped off several decades of the Great Game between the two powers. It defined their respective spheres of influence in Persia, Afghanistan, and Tibet. Its primary aim was to resolve the long-running disputes over the powers' respective imperial peripheries, though it also served their broader diplomatic objectives by helping to provide a counterweight to German influence.

Morocco 1905 / Algeciras Conference
German Chancellor Bernhard von Bülow was worried about the recently signed Entente Cordiale between Britain and France. He decided to test the Entente Cordiale. The French government was at the time trying to establish a protectorate over Morocco, and Britain had qgreed to this in return for French support over Egypt. In 1905, after France had asked the sultan of Morocco for a protectorate, Germany moved quickly: Emperor William II visited Tangier and declared support for Morocco’s integrity. At that, German insistence the Algeciras Conference was called to consider the Moroccan question. France had firm support from Britain, Russia, Italy, Spain, and the United States. The Germans decided to accept a face-saving compromise agreement on March 31, 1906 that was signed on May 31, 1906. France agreed to yield control of the Moroccan police, but otherwise retained effective control of Moroccan political and financial affairs.

Morroco 1911 / Mansion House Speech
The Morocco crisis of 1911 arose out of the dispatch of the German gunboat //Panther// to Agadir on July 1. The ostensible ground for this action was the request of German firms in Agadir for protection in the disordered state of the country. But inasmuch as there were no German subjects at Agadir and the port was not open to Europeans, it was clear that the real motive was a desire to reopen the whole question. The German Government resented the complete failure of the convention of 1899, and determined now, by a show of force, to prevent a further French penetration unless France would negotiate for a final settlement of the problem. It was to obviate this danger that Great Britain now intervened; she was pledged to support the policy of France in Morocco and would do so to the very end; on the other hand, she would not interfere in, and would heartily support, any reasonable accommodation between France and Germany, that is, any settlement in Africa which France, acting as a free agent, was disposed to make. As the German Government had so far made no statement of its policy to the British Government, Mr. Lloyd George, at the request of Sir Edward Grey, delivered on July 21 his famous Mansion House speech, in which he declared that national honor was more precious than peace; a speech everywhere construed, especially in view of the orator's pacifist leanings, as a definite warning to Germany that she could not impose an unreasonable settlement on France. A difficult week followed, in which certain British naval preparations were made, while the foreign secretary and the German ambassadors were holding exceedingly stiff conversations. But the speech had done its work. The Wilhelmstrasse, impressed also, perhaps, by panicky conditions on the Berlin Bourse, became conciliatory, giving assurance that designs on Morocco formed no part of its program, and reaching an agreement with France, in principle, as to the future settlement.

2. Analysis: Why did this factor contribute to the outbreak of World War One?
The colonial rivalries in Africa had a very important significance to the outbreak of world war one. Firstly, this rivalry led to strained relations between the countries, all the powers in Europe had colonies there (except Russia and Austria) there were therefore many clashes over territory, and for example France and Germany clashed over morocco (1905 and 1911). The colonial rivalries also led to reinforcing the alliances, as for example when Italy lost Tunis against France, she turned towards Germany and Austria, and during the Algeciras conference the entente between Britain and France got reinforced when they ganged up on Germany. In both of the Moroccan crisis, Germany was forced to back down to France and Britain, this left the Kaiser determined to not lose the next crisis, thus making Germany even more aggressive and eager to prove their superiority to the other countries. In china, the struggle for control of “spheres of interest” led to the Russo Japanese war, which resulted in defeat for the Russians, thus leaving the Russians eager to win the next war to restore their pride.

3. Three quotes
“We have conquered ourselves a place in the sun. It will now remain my task to see to it that this place in the sun shall remain our undisputed possession.” --Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany: Speech to the North German Regatta Association, 1901

“ The two Governments agree to afford to one another their diplomatic support, in order to obtain the execution of the clauses of the present Declaration regarding Egypt and Morocco.” Extract from the entente cordiale between France and Britain “ I believe it is essential in the highest interests, not merely of this country, but of the world, that Britain should at all hazards maintain her place and her prestige amongst the Great Powers of the world.” Mansion house speech By Lloyd George 1911

4. Three weblinks
[] Entente Cordiale Regarding Egypt and Morocco

[] summary of Russo Japanese war

Map of Africa in 1905