Foreign policy of William Ewart Gladstone facts for kids

William Ewart Gladstone was a very important British leader who served as Prime Minister four times. His foreign policy focused on keeping peace and avoiding the expansion of the British Empire, which was different from another famous leader, Benjamin Disraeli. During Gladstone's time, the Second Anglo-Afghan War ended in 1880, the First Boer War happened from 1880 to 1881, and a war against the Mahdi began in Sudan (1881–1899).

Gladstone usually listened to his foreign ministers, like Lord Clarendon, Lord Granville, and Lord Rosebery. They all aimed for peace as their main goal in dealing with other countries.

Gladstone's Views on the Opium Trade
Gladstone as Chancellor of the Exchequer
Gladstone's First Time as Prime Minister (1868–1874)
Gladstone's Second and Third Times as Prime Minister (1880–1885)
Gladstone's Last Time as Prime Minister (1892–1894)
See also

Gladstone's Views on the Opium Trade

British traders made a lot of money by buying opium in India and selling it in China. When the Chinese government tried to stop this trade, the British government sent the Royal Navy to force the market open in 1840. This led to the First Opium War.

Gladstone was very upset by this. He believed the Chinese government had every right to stop the trade. He said that the British were acting against justice and religion by forcing this "infamous and atrocious traffic" on China. He even called the British flag a "pirate flag" for protecting it.

Later, when the Second Opium War started in 1857, Gladstone again spoke out. He argued that fighting China was like fighting women and children, and that Britain's trade there was unfair. He believed Britain should treat China with mercy, peace, and justice.

Gladstone as Chancellor of the Exchequer

Gladstone served as the Chancellor of the Exchequer (the person in charge of the country's money) twice, from 1852–1855 and 1859–1866.

Paying for the Crimean War

When Britain entered the Crimean War in 1854, Gladstone had to find money for the military. He chose to increase income tax significantly instead of borrowing money. He wanted wealthy Britons to feel the cost of expensive wars, hoping this would make them less likely to support them.

Supporting Free Trade

Gladstone was a strong supporter of "free trade," which means reducing taxes on goods coming into the country (tariffs). In 1859, there were 419 different taxes on imported goods. By 1860, he reduced this number to just 48. To make up for the lost tax money, he raised income tax. His 1860 budget, along with a trade agreement with France, officially made free trade the main principle for Britain's economy.

Gladstone and Palmerston's Disagreements

Gladstone worked under Prime Minister Lord Palmerston, but they often disagreed. They were both very strong personalities. Palmerston wanted Britain to be feared and respected by other countries, which meant having a strong and expensive navy. Gladstone, however, believed in peace and wanted to keep government spending low, especially on the military.

Gladstone was known as a "little Englander" because he focused on domestic issues and believed in working peacefully with other nations. Palmerston was more adventurous in foreign policy. They had different ideas about how morality should apply to international affairs and how much money should be spent on defense.

Gladstone's First Time as Prime Minister (1868–1874)

When Gladstone became Prime Minister in 1868, he first focused on problems within Britain and issues with Ireland. His Foreign Secretary, Lord Clarendon, aimed for a cautious foreign policy.

Relations with the United States

A big issue was with the United States. After the American Civil War, the U.S. wanted Britain to pay for damages caused by Confederate ships built in Britain, like the Alabama. This problem was mostly solved through international arbitration, where Britain agreed to pay $15.5 million. This peaceful way of solving disputes helped improve relations between the two countries.

Expanding the British Empire

Gladstone generally opposed expanding the British Empire. However, Britain did gain some land in the Gold Coast (modern-day Ghana) after a successful war against the Ashanti people. The discovery of diamonds in South Africa also made that region more important, leading to growing tension between the British and the Boers there.

Dealing with Germany

Europe was changing rapidly. Prussia, led by Otto von Bismarck, had defeated Denmark and Austria. A war between Prussia and France was likely. Gladstone warned both sides, especially France, not to invade Belgium, which Britain had promised to protect.

Gladstone was angry when Germany took Alsace-Lorraine from France in 1871 without asking the people who lived there. However, Britain and Germany usually agreed on European issues in the 1870s and 1880s, both wanting to keep the peace.

Russia took advantage of the war between France and Prussia to ignore parts of the Treaty of Paris (1856) that limited its navy in the Black Sea. Gladstone was upset that Russia broke the treaty alone. He called a meeting in London, which agreed that no country could break a treaty without the agreement of other countries involved.

Reforming the British Army

Gladstone supported Secretary of State for War Edward Cardwell in reforming the British Army between 1868 and 1874. The Franco-Prussian War showed that Prussia's professional army was much better than Britain's traditional system.

The main goals of the reforms were to make the army more efficient and save money. Key changes included:

Ending the practice where officers had to buy their ranks. This was very controversial because it meant wealthy families lost money. Gladstone used a special Royal order to abolish it when Parliament resisted.
Creating a reserve force by having soldiers serve shorter terms.
Improving living conditions and pay for soldiers.

These reforms helped turn the British forces into a more modern and effective army, even though some older officers, including Queen Victoria's cousin Prince George, Duke of Cambridge, opposed them.

Gladstone's Foreign Policy Beliefs

In 1879, when he was not Prime Minister, Gladstone explained his "right principles of foreign policy." These included:

Keeping peace.
Loving liberty (freedom).
Respecting the equal rights of all nations.

He believed that all human life, no matter where, was equally important. He famously spoke out against the mistreatment of people in Naples, Bulgaria, and by the Turks in the 1890s. He emphasized that "mutual love" should extend across the whole world, not just to Britain or Christian countries.

Gladstone's Second and Third Times as Prime Minister (1880–1885)

Lord Granville was Gladstone's Foreign Secretary again from 1880 to 1885. His policy focused on peace, patience, and avoiding alliances with other European countries.

Solving Disputes Peacefully

Granville helped improve relations with the United States. He supported Gladstone's idea to use international arbitration to solve disputes, such as those over American ships built in Britain during the Civil War. This peaceful approach set an example for how countries could resolve their differences.

"Splendid Isolation" and Afghanistan

Britain's policy of not forming alliances was sometimes called "Splendid isolation". A tense moment happened in 1885 when Russia defeated Afghan forces near their border. Britain feared Russia would invade Afghanistan and threaten India. Gladstone prepared for war, but the situation was peacefully resolved, and Afghanistan remained a neutral country between Russia and British India.

Taking Control of Egypt in 1882

One of the most significant events was Britain's takeover of Egypt in 1882. This was meant to be temporary but lasted for many decades. France, which had built the Suez Canal, was very unhappy about losing control. Other European powers were also angered by Britain's action.

Historians have debated why Gladstone, who usually opposed imperialism, made this decision. Many believe it was an urgent need to protect the Suez Canal, a vital route to India, because of unrest and a nationalist revolt in Egypt. They also point to the need to protect British financial investments in Egypt.

Gladstone's Last Time as Prime Minister (1892–1894)

In 1893, there was a push to spend more money on the Royal Navy. Gladstone, sticking to his belief in low government spending and free trade, opposed this. His inability to stop the increase in naval spending was a major reason for his resignation in 1894. He officially resigned due to health reasons and was replaced by Lord Rosebery.