Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Introduction & Chapter Summaries
- Chapter Summaries
- List of Contributors
- Abbreviations/ Names and Name Order
- 1 British Relations with Japan, 1852–2017: An Overview
- 2 Lord John Russell, 1792–1878 [lst Earl Russell] Foreign Secretary, 1852–53, 1859–69
- 3 Lord Clarendon, 1800–1870 [George William Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon] Foreign Secretary, 1853–58, 1865–66, 1868–70
- 4 Lord Granville, 1815–1891 [George Leveson Gower, 2nd Earl Granville] Foreign Secretary, 1870–74, 1880–85
- 5 Lord Derby, 1826–1893 [Lord Stanley & 15th Earl of Derby] Foreign Secretary as Lord Stanley, 1866–68; as Lord Derby 1874–78
- 6 Lord Salisbury, 1830–1903 [3rd Marquess of Salisbury] Foreign Secretary, 1878–80, 1885–86, 1887–92, 1895–1900. Prime Minister, 1885–86, 1886–92, 1895–1902
- 7 Lord Rosebery, 1847–1929 [5th Earl of Rosebery] Foreign Secretary, 1886, 1892–94 Prime Minister, 1894–95
- 8 Lord Kimberley, 1826–1902 [John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley] Foreign Secretary, 1894–95
- 9 Lord Lansdowne, 1845–1927 [Henry Charles Keith Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne] Foreign Secretary, 1900–05
- 10 Sir Francis Bertie, 1844–1919 Key official in framing the Anglo-Japanese Alliance
- 11 Sir Edward Grey, 1862–1933 [Viscount Grey of Falloden] Foreign Secretary, 1905–16
- 12 Arthur James Balfour, 1848–1930 [lst Earl of Balfour] Foreign Secretary, 1916–19 Prime Minister, 1902–05
- 13 Lord Curzon, 1859–1925 [George Nathaniel, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston] Foreign Secretary, 1919–24
- 14 James Ramsay MacDonald, 1866–1937 Foreign Secretary, 1924 Prime Minister, 1929–31
- 15 Austen Chamberlain, 1863–1937 Foreign Secretary, 1924–29 Neville Chamberlain, 1869–1940 Prime Minister, 1937–40
- 16 Sir John Simon, 1873–1954 [lst Viscount Simon] Foreign Secretary, 1931–35
- 17 Lord Lytton, 1876–1947 [Victor Alexander George Robert Bulwer-Lytton, 2nd Earl of Lytton], A key role in advancing Anglo-Japanese Relations in the 1930s
- 18 Sir Samuel Hoare, 1880–1959 [Samuel Gurney, 1st Viscount Templewood] Foreign Secretary, June-December 1935
- 19 Sir Anthony Eden, 1897–1977 [lst Earl of Avon] Foreign Secretary 1935–38, 1940–45, 1951–55
- 20 Lord Halifax, 1881–1959 [Edward Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax] Foreign Secretary, 1938–40
- 21 Lord Hankey, 1877–1963 and R.A. Butler, 1902–1982 and the ‘Appeasement of Japan, 1939–1941 Foreign Secretary (Butler), 1963–64
- 22 Ernest Bevin, 1881–1951 Foreign Secretary, 1945–51
- 23 Winston Churchill, 1874–1965 Prime Minister, 1940–45, 1951–55
- 24 Britain and Japan, 1950–1990: A British Perspective
- 25 Sir Alec Douglas-Home, 1903–1995 [14th Earl of Home] Foreign Secretary, 1960–63, 1970–74 Prime Minister, 1963–64
- 26 Edward Heath, 1916–2005 Prime Minister, 1970–74
- 27 Margaret Thatcher, 1925–2013 [Baroness Thatcher] Prime Minister, 1979–90
- 28 Sir Geoffrey Howe, 1926–2015 [Lord Howe of Aberavon] Foreign Secretary, 1983–89
- Bibliography
- Index
7 - Lord Rosebery, 1847–1929 [5th Earl of Rosebery] Foreign Secretary, 1886, 1892–94 Prime Minister, 1894–95
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 30 April 2022
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Introduction & Chapter Summaries
- Chapter Summaries
- List of Contributors
- Abbreviations/ Names and Name Order
- 1 British Relations with Japan, 1852–2017: An Overview
- 2 Lord John Russell, 1792–1878 [lst Earl Russell] Foreign Secretary, 1852–53, 1859–69
- 3 Lord Clarendon, 1800–1870 [George William Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon] Foreign Secretary, 1853–58, 1865–66, 1868–70
- 4 Lord Granville, 1815–1891 [George Leveson Gower, 2nd Earl Granville] Foreign Secretary, 1870–74, 1880–85
- 5 Lord Derby, 1826–1893 [Lord Stanley & 15th Earl of Derby] Foreign Secretary as Lord Stanley, 1866–68; as Lord Derby 1874–78
- 6 Lord Salisbury, 1830–1903 [3rd Marquess of Salisbury] Foreign Secretary, 1878–80, 1885–86, 1887–92, 1895–1900. Prime Minister, 1885–86, 1886–92, 1895–1902
- 7 Lord Rosebery, 1847–1929 [5th Earl of Rosebery] Foreign Secretary, 1886, 1892–94 Prime Minister, 1894–95
- 8 Lord Kimberley, 1826–1902 [John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley] Foreign Secretary, 1894–95
- 9 Lord Lansdowne, 1845–1927 [Henry Charles Keith Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne] Foreign Secretary, 1900–05
- 10 Sir Francis Bertie, 1844–1919 Key official in framing the Anglo-Japanese Alliance
- 11 Sir Edward Grey, 1862–1933 [Viscount Grey of Falloden] Foreign Secretary, 1905–16
- 12 Arthur James Balfour, 1848–1930 [lst Earl of Balfour] Foreign Secretary, 1916–19 Prime Minister, 1902–05
- 13 Lord Curzon, 1859–1925 [George Nathaniel, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston] Foreign Secretary, 1919–24
- 14 James Ramsay MacDonald, 1866–1937 Foreign Secretary, 1924 Prime Minister, 1929–31
- 15 Austen Chamberlain, 1863–1937 Foreign Secretary, 1924–29 Neville Chamberlain, 1869–1940 Prime Minister, 1937–40
- 16 Sir John Simon, 1873–1954 [lst Viscount Simon] Foreign Secretary, 1931–35
- 17 Lord Lytton, 1876–1947 [Victor Alexander George Robert Bulwer-Lytton, 2nd Earl of Lytton], A key role in advancing Anglo-Japanese Relations in the 1930s
- 18 Sir Samuel Hoare, 1880–1959 [Samuel Gurney, 1st Viscount Templewood] Foreign Secretary, June-December 1935
- 19 Sir Anthony Eden, 1897–1977 [lst Earl of Avon] Foreign Secretary 1935–38, 1940–45, 1951–55
- 20 Lord Halifax, 1881–1959 [Edward Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax] Foreign Secretary, 1938–40
- 21 Lord Hankey, 1877–1963 and R.A. Butler, 1902–1982 and the ‘Appeasement of Japan, 1939–1941 Foreign Secretary (Butler), 1963–64
- 22 Ernest Bevin, 1881–1951 Foreign Secretary, 1945–51
- 23 Winston Churchill, 1874–1965 Prime Minister, 1940–45, 1951–55
- 24 Britain and Japan, 1950–1990: A British Perspective
- 25 Sir Alec Douglas-Home, 1903–1995 [14th Earl of Home] Foreign Secretary, 1960–63, 1970–74 Prime Minister, 1963–64
- 26 Edward Heath, 1916–2005 Prime Minister, 1970–74
- 27 Margaret Thatcher, 1925–2013 [Baroness Thatcher] Prime Minister, 1979–90
- 28 Sir Geoffrey Howe, 1926–2015 [Lord Howe of Aberavon] Foreign Secretary, 1983–89
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
INTRODUCTION
One of the most important events in Japanese history, the Sino-Japanese War of 1894–95, coincides remarkably with the period in office of the Liberal Party in Britain presided over by Lord Rosebery. Rosebery succeeded William Ewart Gladstone in March 1894. He had considerable experience in foreign affairs having served Gladstone as foreign secretary in his 2nd and 3rd administrations and tended to dominate policy-making. He straightaway encountered a serious crisis in East Asia over the claims of Japan and China for the kingdom of Korea. This was the first time that ‘Far Eastern Affairs’ had become a matter of conspicuous public interest in Britain and other European capitals. There was increasing newspaper reportage and debate in parliament which led in turn to discussion in cabinet.
There were formidable restraints on Rosebery's autonomy in pursuing an independent Liberal foreign policy. He belonged to the Liberal Imperialist wing of the party and found himself opposed within the cabinet by Sir William Harcourt who, because of his seniority, was chosen as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Rosebery being in the House of Lords could not present his case in the House of Commons. He appointed as foreign secretary Lord Kimberley who was a senior and well-liked figure in the party and had the unenviable task of acting as mediator between Rosebery and Harcourt. Harcourt was opposed to intervention in foreign adventures. The situation was summed up by Munro-Ferguson who wrote that it was ‘hard if not impossible to work decently with some of this team on Foreign Affairs.’
The other constraint on Rosebery was the international environment. Throughout the Western world there was an appetite for imperial acquisitiveness and the newcomers were particularly jealous; in particular, jealous of Britain and suspicious of Britain's every act in the foreign field.
Rosebery who was a great traveller had not visited either China or Japan. But he had spent time in Australia in 1883–4 which gave him some grasp of the situation there. In 1894 his anxiety about the effect of a possible war on China was expressed in one of his speeches:
The sudden destruction of the central Government of China by a conquering force … [would] mean such a scene of chaos and horror as the world has never contemplated.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- British Foreign Secretaries and Japan 1850-1990Aspects of the Evolution of British Foreign Policy, pp. 74 - 81Publisher: Amsterdam University PressPrint publication year: 2018