Conservative Party and Anglo-German Relations, 1905-1914

This book examines the role of the Conservative Party in the outbreak of World War I and their influence on British foreign policy and Anglo-German relations at the time.

The first ever major study examining of the views of the Conservative Party towards the key aspects of Anglo-German relations from 1905 to 1914. Drawing on a wide variety of original sources, it examines the Conservative response to the German threat, and argues that the response of the Conservative Party towards Germany showed a marked absence of open hostility towards Germany. Overall, this important new study provides a powerful and overdue corrective to the traditional depiction of the Conservative Party in opposition as ‘Scaremongers’ and the chief source of Germanophobic views among the British political parties.

FRANK MCDONOUGH was educated at Balliol College, Oxford, UK, and is currently Reader in International History at Liverpool John Moores University. He has published many books on Twentieth century Anglo-German relations, international history and the history of Nazi Germany.

Preface * Introduction * The Nature and Organisation of Conservative Foreign and Defence questions at Westminster * Leadership (1): A.J.Balfour and Anglo-German Relations * Leadership (2): Andrew Bonar Law and Anglo-German Relations * The Views of the Conservative Party at Westminster towards Anglo-German Relations, 1905-1914 * The Role of the German Threat in the propaganda and electioneering tactics of the Conservative Party at the two General Elections of 1910 * Extra Parliamentary Pressure Groups and Germany * The Conservative Party and the Decision for War in 1914 * Conclusion * The Key Characters * Bibliography