Royalty and Diplomacy in Europe, 1890–1914

This 2001 book examines the role of European royal families in diplomacy before the First World War.

Roderick R. McLean (Author)

9780521592000, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 29 January 2001

268 pages, 15 b/w illus.
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.6 cm, 0.53 kg

'The edition is a historian's dream … the kind of reference book that generations of historians have to take into account if they want to understand the processes which led from the German Federation to the German Empire … a well-balanced selection that will probably please political, social, economic, and military historians alike. the dispatches, which have never been published before, are transcribed and annotated in an exemplary fashion …' The Historical Journal

This 2001 book examines the diplomatic role of royal families in the era before the outbreak of the First World War. It argues that previous historians have neglected for political reasons the important political and diplomatic role of monarchs during the period. Particular attention is given to the Prusso-German, Russian and British monarchies. The Prusso-German and Russian monarchies were central in their countries' diplomacy and foreign policy, principally as a result of their control over diplomatic and political appointments. However, the book also argues that the British monarchy played a much more influential role in British diplomacy than has been accepted hitherto by historians. Individual themes examined include relations between Kaiser Wilhelm II and Tsar Nicholas II, the political significance of the ill-feeling between Wilhelm II and his uncle King Edward VII, the role of Edward VII in British diplomacy, and the impact of royal visits on pre-1914 Anglo-German relations.

List of illustrations
Acknowledgements
List of abbreviations
Introduction
1. The Kaiser and the Tsar: German-Russian dynastic relations, 1888–1914
2. Uncle and nephew: Edward VII, Wilhelm II and the Anglo-German dynastic antagonism before 1914
3. King Edward VII and British diplomacy, 1901–10
4. The limits of dynastic diplomacy: royal visits and Anglo-German relations, 1906–14
5. Conclusion
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000 [HBLW], European history [HBJD]