The Entente Cordiale came in an era of frantic imperial expansion and was initially regarded as just a diplomatic accord to carve up spheres of influence between Britain and France. Yet the document signed by British Foreign Secretary Lord Lansdowne and the French ambassador in London, Paul Cambon, one century ago was the culmination of a long diplomatic process, and it was underpinned by a strong friendly sentiment on both sides of the Channel, as the rapturous reception which welcomed King Edward VII’s State Visit to Paris in 1903 indicated all too clearly!
The conference paid tribute to this century of cross-Channel co-operation, whilst also being concerned with the current state of Franco-British defence and security relations, the lessons that the two nations have learnt, their joint experience in managing European and global crises, and the future security arrangements which may shape the continent.
RUSI Journal April 2004: Entente Cordiale Supplement
Common Defence Goals
Geoff Hoon
From Entente Cordiale to Strategic Partnership
Michèle Alliot-Marie
One Hundred Years of Franco-British Strategic Co-operation
Hervé Coutau-Bégarie
War and Empire
Hew Strachan
The UK Ministry of Defence’s Adoption of the Government-Wide System for Project Approvals
Western Way of War: Air Marshal Philip Osborn
India Must Secure the Indian Ocean to Deter China’s Assertion Along the Border