Anglo-French Alliance (1716–1731) facts for kids
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The Anglo-French Alliance was a special agreement between Great Britain and France that lasted from 1716 to 1731. It was part of a bigger game called the "stately quadrille" in Europe. This was when the most powerful countries, known as the Great Powers, kept changing their friends and enemies to try and form the strongest team.
Why Did They Become Allies?
After a big war called the War of the Spanish Succession ended around 1715, Britain and France realized they had something in common. They both wanted to stop Spain and Russia from becoming too powerful.
Even though some British politicians had been against the peace treaty that ended the war, they soon became close with France. In France, things were a bit uncertain. The new king, Louis XV, was just a child. The person ruling for him, called the Regent, was Philippe II, Duke of Orléans. He was also next in line to the throne if anything happened to the young king. Britain didn't want to upset France, which was a much bigger country. So, after some talks, they decided to become allies in late 1716.
On January 4, 1717, their alliance grew! The Dutch Republic joined Britain and France. This new group was called the Triple Alliance. They formed it because Spain was starting to look like a threat again.
Spain proved them right! In 1717, Spain easily took back Sardinia from Austria. Then, in 1718, Spanish troops landed in Sicily. To stop Spain, Austria joined the Triple Alliance on August 2, 1718. This made it the Quadruple Alliance (meaning "four allies"). These four countries worked together in a war called the War of the Quadruple Alliance. Their goal was to stop Spain from taking back parts of Italy.
How Did the Alliance End?
The alliance started to weaken when Louis, the future king of France, was born in 1729. This meant France's future was more secure, and they didn't feel they needed Britain as much.
In Britain, some people thought Austria would be a better friend. Also, France's main minister, Cardinal Fleury, started acting in ways that seemed unfriendly towards Britain. When France didn't support Britain during the Anglo-Spanish War (1727–1729), many people in Britain felt that France was no longer a trustworthy ally. They thought France was going back to being Britain's traditional rival.
The alliance didn't end with a big announcement. But by early 1731, most people agreed it was over.
In 1731, Britain saw where Cardinal Fleury was leading France. So, Britain made a new alliance with Austria. By 1742, Britain and France were fighting each other again in the War of the Austrian Succession. They also continued to compete for land in North America. Some people say that Britain and France were "natural enemies" for a long time, from 1688 to 1815. This period is even called the Second Hundred Years' War. However, the time they spent as allies shows that they weren't always enemies.
See also
- Foreign alliances of France
- Anglo-Austrian Alliance
- Anglo-Prussian Alliance (1756)
- France–United Kingdom relations
