Friendship at Any Cost? Russian Influence on Anglo-Germans Relations, 1890-1914 (thesis)

Abstract

Despite the well-researched and argued debates that continue to rage regarding the nature of Anglo-German relations, further research into several lingering questions is required. The question of the degree to which Grey was influenced by anti-German officials in the Foreign Office as well as the dispute over whether the British thought that Germany or Russia was the more menacing threat deserve more research. My further research will concentrate on the link between Anglo-German and Anglo-Russian relations since that link has rarely been pursued in the prevailing scholarship. How Anglo-German relations influenced Anglo-Russian relations and vice versa has rarely been explored, and it needs to be explored further in order to fully analyze the relationships between the powers. My research will analyze this link and evaluate the current perspective on Anglo-German relations. As I have shown, portions of the theory that Russia played a major role in Anglo-German relations have been explored by several scholars, but no comprehensive, unified case for this theory has yet been written. I will endeavor in my thesis to provide that comprehensive view of Russia’s influence on Anglo-German relations. [From Introduction]