Britain's Continental Parity Policy

In the modern history of the world, Britain has long pursued a traditional foreign policy: the policy of continental parity, which has enabled Britain to maintain its hegemony in the continent of Europe for a long period of time and the hegemony of the world. The policy of continental balance of power has also had an important impact on international relations. What was the policy of Continental Parity? In 1907, the British Foreign Office talked about this policy in the Crowe Memorandum: "It is the policy of Great Britain to maintain the balance of power, to put her own strength on one side or the other, but always on one side to resist the political hegemony of the most powerful country or group in a given period .......". . This passage reveals the meaning of the policy of continental parity, that is, Britain in order to maintain the hegemony, with its own economic and military power, to maintain the mutual restraints and fights among European countries, to prevent a country from hegemony of foreign policy.

The Seven Years' War

From the rise of Napoleon's empire to the end of World War II, Britain has long pursued this policy. In order to resist the powers on the European continent, Britain successively implemented the joint resistance to France, the defeat of Russia, Germany and France, vertical Germany against the Soviet Union. 18th century French Revolution, the rise of Napoleon's empire, Britain has organized and led seven anti-French alliances to defeat the mighty France. After Russia became a powerful country in Europe, Britain joined hands with France to defeat Russia in 1853-1856. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the conflict between Britain and Germany became a major conflict. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Britain joined France and Russia to defeat Germany in World War I. After World War I, Britain continued to pursue this policy. After WWI, Britain continued this policy. It opposed France's excessive weakening of Germany on the issue of European security and reparations and did not ally with France. This enabled Germany to improve its political status and revitalize its economy to become a European power in 1929. In the 1930s, Britain again condoned Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union. It was not until the end of World War II that Britain abandoned this policy and looked up to the United States.

The Crimean War

The reason why Britain was able to implement this policy is because of its strength: Britain became the largest colonial power in the middle of the 18th century, mastering the hegemony of the sea, and Britain was the first to carry out the Industrial Revolution, and was in the middle of the 19th century in the position of the "world's workshop", Britain was able to implement this policy by virtue of its strong strength. With its abundant strength, Britain pursued this policy. Secondly, it was decided by national interests: Henry Palmerston, a British diplomat, once said: "We have no eternal friends, nor eternal enemies; we have only eternal interests, and we should be guided by these interests." Britain used this policy for a long time in order to maintain the interests of the bourgeoisie and to hold the hegemony of Europe and the hegemony of the world. Secondly, the objective conditions are determined:Britain is outside the European continent, the fight between the powerful countries on the European continent, Britain can sit on the mountain and watch the tiger fight, at the same time, France, Russia, Germany and other countries for the hegemony of the continent of the fight has never ceased, but also for the United Kingdom to implement this policy to create the objective conditions.

Franco-Prussian War

Britain's policy of continental parity in Europe maintained the hegemony of the British Empire, and also made the struggle for international relations revolve around hegemony. In the modern history of the world, the struggle between Britain and France, Britain and Russia around the hegemony of the European continent, Britain and Germany, Britain and the United States around the hegemony of the world has never stopped.

World War I

The implementation of this policy also shows that: the nature of the country and national interests determine foreign policy; national strength is the backing of diplomacy; the struggle for world hegemony is one of the main contradictions in international relations in modern history.