Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-g8jcs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T15:32:54.812Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

V. British War Aims and German Peace Feelers during the First World War (December 1916–November 1918)*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 February 2009

W. B. Fest
W. B. Fest
Affiliation:
St Antony's College, Oxford
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

In 1914 Britain, though hesitantly, decided to enter the war, thus fulfilling her loosely-defined obligations towards the other Entente states. After the outbreak of the war, Britain was just one partner in an alliance whose members had undertaken on 5 September 1914 not to conclude a separate peace and also not even to consider any peace-offer without previous consultations. These mutual assurances were supposed to ensure a victory settlement satisfactory to all the Allies.

Type
Articles
Information
The Historical Journal , Volume 15 , Issue 2 , June 1972 , pp. 285 - 308
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1972

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1 Extracts from the Minutes of the War Committee, 22 Feb. 1916, F.O. 371/2804, file 35940.

2 Cited, Taylor, A.J.P., ‘The War Aims of the Allies in the First World War’, Politics in Wartime (London, 1964).Google Scholar

3 A negative French answer on these lines was seconded by Grey on 23 Oct. 1915, when he referred to Asquith's Commons speech which had been approved ‘by the entire country ’. F.O. 371/2505, no. 158312, file 1500.

4 Die Internationalen Beziehungen im Zeitalter des lmperialismus, Dokumente aus den Archiven der Zarischen und der Provisorischen Regierung, German ed. Hoetzsch, O. (Berlin, 1936), 2nd ser.VI (2), no. 759 of 12 01. 1915, 651–2.Google Scholar

5 Typical is E. S. Montagu's memorandum of 29 Aug. 1916, CAB 17/160.

6 Note by Grey, F.O. 371/2804, no. 170012.

7 The memoranda by Robertson and Balfour are both printed in George, Lloyd, War Memoirs(London, 1936), II, 833–43 and 877 ffGoogle Scholar. The memorandum of the Foreign Office, slightly abridged, in George, Lloyd, The Truth about the Peace Treaties (London, 1938), p. 31 ff. Cf. the original with Grey's minute in F.O. 371/2804.Google Scholar

8 Printed in War Memoirs, II, 866–73. The originals of the departmental reactions to Lansdowne's memorandum are in the Asquith papers, Bodleian Library, Oxford.Google Scholar

9 Jenkins, R., Asquith, Fontana ed. 1967, pp. 467–71Google Scholar; Steglich, W., Bündnissicherung oder Verständigungsjrieden (Göttingen, 1960).Google Scholar

10 L'Allemagne et les problèmes de la paix pendant la première guerre mondiale. Documents extraits des archives de 1'oflBce allcmand des Affaires etrangeres, eds. Scherer, A. and Grunewald, J. (Paris, 1962), vol. 1, nos. 347 and 361.Google Scholar

11 Text in Official Statements of War Aims and Peace Proposals, ed. Scott, J.B. (Washington, 1921), pp. 2–3Google Scholar. For a critical appreciation of the note, cf. Fischer, F., Griff nach der Weltmacht (Düsseldorf (3) 1964), p. 381 ff.Google Scholar

12 War Memoirs, II, 887.Google Scholar

13 CAB 42/22/14 (Nov. 1916).

14 Ibid. pp. 889–90.

15 Hansard, 5th ser., vol. 89, 1333–4.Google Scholar

16 Report by Spring-Rice of 22 Dec. 1916. Copy in Lloyd George papers, F/160/1/4. Cf. History of the Times, IV, 322 ff.Google Scholar

17 WC 10, CAB 23/1.

18 Grey memorandum of 27 Nov. 1916. Cited, Trevelyan, G.M., Grey of Fallodon (London, 1936).Google Scholar

19 Hendrick, B.J. (ed.), The Life and Utters of Walter H. Page (London, 1924), II, 314 ff.Google Scholar (entry of 27 July 1916).

20 Text and evaluation of this document in Link, A.S., Wilson, III (Princeton, 1960).Google Scholar

21 Official Statements…, pp. 35–8. Cf. the letter by Sir E. Russel of 4 Jan. 1917: ‘ What we feel is that America needs to be enlightened and that these measures (specific statement of terms) would enlighten it.’ Lloyd George papers, F/44/6/2.

22 Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, 1917, Suppl. I, pp. 40–1.Google Scholar

23 Rumbold's tel. of 16 Dec. 1916, circulated to the Cabinet on 28 Dec., CAB 37/162, no. 22.

24 Gwynn, St, ed., Letters and Friendships of Sir Cecil Spring-Rice (New York, 1929), II, 370–1.Google Scholar

25 Lloyd George remains silent about the possibility of a contact with the Germans (War Memoirs, IV), cf. F.O. 371/3080, nos. 33142 of 15 Feb. 1917 and 36932 of 16 Feb.

26 Lloyd George to Balfour, 12 Feb., F.O. 800/199; Balfour/s order of 27 Feb., F.O. 371/3079, no. 44161, file 766.

27 U.S. For. Rel., 1917, Suppl. I, pp. 40–1.

28 Undated draft by Drummond, F.O. 371/3119, file 86512. For Balfour's order to send copies of the Secret Treaties to Washington, cf. F.O. 371/3081, file 89749.

29 U.S. For. Rel., The Lansing Papers, II, 19–32.Google Scholar

30 Cf. Louis, R., Germany's Lost Colonies (Oxford, 1967).Google Scholar

31 CAB 21/77 and 21/78, War Memoirs, IV, 1798–1800.Google Scholar

32 A final decision was postponed until the advice of the Admiralty had been received. The Admiralty, however, had little influence upon the formulation of war aims owing to the secondary role played by the navy in the war, and naval arguments only became important at the time of the armistice.

33 I.W.C. 13, CAB 24/40.

34 F.O. 371/3081, no. 87527.

35 WC 128 a, CAB 23/14.

36 Journal d'Alexandre Ribot (Paris, 1936), p. 66Google Scholar On the Anglo-Austrian peace negotiations, cfHanak, H., “Government, Foreign Office and Austria-Hungary, 1914–1918”, in Slavonic Review, XLVII, No. 108, 01. 1969, pp. 161–197Google Scholar and Fest, W.B., “The Habsburg Monarchy in British Policy, 1914–1918” (D.Phil, thesis, Univ. of Oxford, 1970).Google Scholar

37 WC 135 a, CAB 23/14.

38 This basic French attitude was already reported by Bertie on 21 Feb. 1917, F.O. 371/3080, no. 43005, file 33294. For the problem in general, cf. Renouvin, P., ‘Les buts de guerre du gouvernement francais ’, Revue Historique, 1966.Google Scholar

39 Cf.Pedroncini, G., Les muteneries de 1917 (Paris, 1967). Sir Maurice Hankey submitted a memorandum on the events on 16 June, Lloyd George papers, F/23/1/12.Google Scholar

40 Official Statements…, pp. 107–14.

41 Note by Balfour, F.O. 371/2837, no. 133257, file 111383; Cambon, P., Correspondence (Paris, 1946), III, 183–4.Google Scholar

42 The memorandum of the C.I.G.S. of 28 July (G.T. 1549) was discussed in the Cabinet on 31 July: WC 200 a, CAB 23/14.

43 WC 203 a, CAB 23/14 of 2 Aug. 1917.

44 War Memoirs, IV, 2026Google Scholar. For the correspondence of the German Foreign Ministry, cf. Fester, R.'s edition in Berliner Monatshejte, xv (1937), 596–7.Google Scholar

45 A detailed report on the first meeting is in the Lloyd George papers, F/160/1/13. For the background of these talks, cf. Engel-Janosi, F., ‘ Die Friedensbemühungen Kaiser Karls mit besonderer Berücksichtigung der Besprechungen des Graf en Revertera mit Comte Armand’, XIIe Congrès international des sciences historiques, Rapports, IV (Vienna, 1965), 279–90.Google Scholar

46 F.O. 371/2864, no. 157704, file 134202 of 11 Aug. 1917. A draft of the Cabinet minutes by Hankey of 14 Aug., without no., in CAB 23/16.

47 Cf. the extract from the conference minutes of 14 Aug. in Fischer, , op. cit. p. 540.Google Scholar

48 F.O. 371/2864, no. 164751.

49 Ibid.

50 Ibid.

51 WC 220, CAB 23/3.

52 For the Anglo-French correspondence, cf. the British White Book, The Peace Proposals Made by His Holiness the Pope to the Belligerents (H.M.S.O., 1919)Google Scholar. For the originals with enlightening minutes, cf. F.O. 371/3083, file 150310. For the Cabinet decision, and Balfour's draft note to the French and American ambassadors, cf. WC 221, CAB 23/3. The quoted misinterpretation is by Steglich, W., Die Friedenspolitik der Mittelmächte (Wiesbaden, 1964), p. 179.Google Scholar

53 This comment by H. G. Nicolson (F.O. 371/3083, file 150310) no. 166198 of 24 Aug. led to a draft answer by Drummond of 26 Aug. which preceded the French intervention.

54 War Memoirs, IV, 2062 ff. prints Wilson's answer in order to prove that the reproach to the British for having refused a peace opening is irrelevant. In fact Balfour, in a letter to Bertie of I Sept., criticized Wilson's phrase on ‘ the impossibility to negotiate with the present German government’, but this formulation was tacitly accepted in London to avoid an inter-Allied war aims discussion. Cf. Balfour papers, B.M. Add. MSS 496999.Google Scholar

55 L'Allemagne…, II, 387 ff.Google Scholar

56 Hardinge, A.'s tel. is reproduced in War Memoirs, IV, 2651.Google Scholar

57 Ribot's letter was handed over to Balfour on 21 Sept. by P. Cambon. The original is in the Lloyd George papers, F/160/1/8, dated 2 Sept. For the Lancken action, cf. LApos;Allemagne…, n, 228 ff.

58 War Memoirs, IV, 2093–9; WC 238 a, 239 a, CAB 23–14.Google Scholar

59 In the original draft ‘ accept ’ is crossed out and corrected to ‘consider ’!

60 For the influence of people outside the Cabinet (Churchill!) cf. the diary notes of C. P. Scott of 26 Sept., B.M. Add. MSS 50904.

61 Minutes in CAB 1/25, fo. 16, cf. War Memoirs, IV, 210. Robertson was much more sceptical than Haig. Lloyd George, according to his own recollections, was influenced by Foch to whom he had talked during his recent trip to France.Google Scholar

62 Balfour was encouraged by Tereshtchenko, who promised to continue the war. His tel. to ambassador Nabokov is included in Balfour's letter to Lloyd George of 24 Sept., Lloyd George papers, F/3/2/30. The same conclusions were drawn by the I.B.D.I. on 27 Sept., G.T. 2142, CAB 24/27. For the perceived danger of a German leakage, cf. the tels. by Buchanan of 2, 4 and 8 Oct., copies in Lloyd George papers, F/3/2/32, and WC 242 b, CAB 23/14.

63 War Memoirs, IV, 2014–15.Google Scholar

64 Draft minutes by Margerie, P.de in Archives du Ministère des Affaires Etrangères (Quai d'Orsay, Paris)Google Scholar, Conjir. intern., sér. A, Carton 369, dossier i sd/20. Balfour's draft, ‘ Memorandum for the statement of Allies on Bolshevik procedure ’ with a comment by J. Cambon, ibid.

65 For the reaction of the government, cf. WC 290 a, CAB 23/14; Newton, Lord, Lord Lansdowne (London, 1928), p. 265 ff.Google Scholar; Dugdale, B.E C., Arthur James Balfour (London, 1936),II, 182–3Google Scholar; Riddell, Lord's War Diary (London, 1933), p. 298Google Scholar.

66 Taylor, A.J.P., The Trouble Makers (London, 1957), p. 152Google Scholar; Graubard, S., British Labour and the Russian Revolution (Cambridge, Mass., 1956), p. 46Google Scholar. Not to be discounted is the influence of the Radicals on Wilson and House. Cf. Martin, L.W., Peace Without Victory (New Haven, 1958).Google Scholar

67 Official Statements…, p. 210.Google Scholar

68 Cf. the remarks by Lloyd George to C. P. Scott, cited Hammond, J.L., C. P. Scott of the Manchester Guardian (London, 1934), pp. 221–3 and 232Google Scholar. See also the Scott papers, B.M. Add. MSS 50904 (entry for 27/28 Dec.) and the diary of Milner's private secretary, Thornton, 27 and 28 Dec., Milner papers, box 301. Draft minutes of the Cabinet meeting of 28 Dec. (WC 307 a) were found in CAB 23/14,1.

69 War Memoirs, IV, 2480.Google Scholar

70 Official Statements…, p. 225 ff. For Lloyd George's intentions, cf. Lord Riddell's War Diary, p. 304.

71 War Memoirs, IV, 2496, WC 325 a of 18 Jan. 1918, CAB 23/14,1.Google Scholar

72 For the German background, cf.Steglich, , op. cit. p. 359 ff.Google Scholar

73 Smuts wrote a letter on his conversation with Haig to Lloyd George, LI. G. papers, F/45/9/9 (24 Jan. 1918). On the connexions of Lloyd George and Milner with the British Left, cf. Cole, M.I. (ed.), Beatrice Webb's Diaries, 1912–1924 (London, 1952), II, 112.Google Scholar

74 WC 427, CAB 23/6; Balfour's tel. to Cave, F.O. 371/3442, file 62451 (6 June 1918). Ahlswede, D., ‘ Deutsch-britische Friedensgespräche im Haag 1918, Welt ah Geschichte ’, xx (1960), 187 ffGoogle Scholar. mistakenly inferred a British inclination for a compromise peace from German and English memoirs. His theory is refuted in extenso by Ritter, G., Staatskunst und Kriegshandwerk (Munich, 1968), IV, ch. VIII.Google Scholar

75 F.O. 371/3442, no. III477, fo. 62451 of 24 June.

76 I.W.C-30, CAB 23/42.

77 Final report of the War Trade Advisory Committee, Board of Trade Journal, 2 05 1918.Google Scholar

78 WC 457, CAB 32Sol;7. Cf. Louis, R., op. cit. p. 109.Google Scholar

79 Smuts memorandum of 24 Oct. 1918 (G.T. 6091), CAB 24/67. Milner made his attitude public in an interview with the Evening Standard, 17 Oct. 1918.

80 Minutes of the meetings of 13 and 26 Oct., G.T. 5967, CAB 24/66 and WC 491 b, 24/14.

81 WC 500 a, b of 10/11 Nov., CAB 23/14.

82 Balfour to Lloyd George on 29 Nov., Lloyd George papers, F/3/3/45. Cf. A. J. P. Taylor, ‘ The War Aims of the Allies…’