Gladstone's+attitude+to+foreign+and+imperial+affairs


 * Gladstone held a 'little England' view of foreign policy, believing that Britain should look after her own people at home rather than looking to conquer other lands. This was, like many of Gladstone's beliefs, antithetical to Disraeli's belief in Britain at the heart of a massive intercontinental empire; criticizing the latter's foreign policy was key to the Midlothian campaign. In addition, he believed that Britain should promote peace among other countries, since that would best advance her trade interests. Also he looked to avoid the expense of war.**


 * Gladstone believed in using the Concert of Europe to maintain European peace.**
 * Many key events happened in the arena of foreign policy while Gladstone was in power;**
 * **The Franco-Prussian War (1st Ministry); Gladstone was criticised for not staying close to his principles, being accused of not doing enough to stop France declaring war. However, he did secure a guarantee of Belgian neutrality.**
 * **Revocation of the Black Sea clauses of the Treaty of Paris with Russia (1st Ministry); Gladstone did not go to war with Russia over keeping Russian ships out of the Black Sea, although this could be seen as being dictated by necessity. Instead, Britain cancels the Black Sea clauses.**
 * **Alabama Case (1st Ministry); Britain was accused of smuggling a warship, the Alabama, to Confederate forces and breaking her neutrality. Gladstone agreed to pay damages. Damages of $15.5 Million were paid, much less than the $2 Billion that Senator Charles Sumner originally considered demanding. This again avoided war and protected the trade relationship with the USA, but was widely criticised at home.**
 * In the second ministry, more military events happened;**
 * **Gladstone continued imperial rule in the Transvaal, SA, leading to the First Boer War. Eventually Britain gives Transvaal internal self-government, retaining control over her foreign policy.**
 * **Egypt came fully under British control following the failure of Anglo-French cooperation over how to put down a series of riots and the bombardment of Alexandria by a British Admiral. Gladstone sent in the military to protect British interests, and Britain was unable to withdraw until 1922.**
 * **The Sudan was another example of military foreign policy going wrong; after a jihad was declared against Egyptian and Western rule, the Anglo-Egyptian army was destroyed. The Cabinet sent General Gordon to the Sudanese capital but was unwilling to send military backup. The combination of this and his unwillingness to withdraw led to his death in 1885, two days before a relief force finally arrived.**
 * **Gladstone was forced to abandon informal British control over areas such as Cameroon, Togoland and the Congo Basin in the Berlin West Africa Conference of 1884-5.**