Britain's position on the German activity in the Arabian Gulf 1870-1914

Abstract

The last years were at the nineteenth century and early twentieth century, it was characterized by the
increase in the intensity of European activity in the waters of the Arabian Gulf, especially Britain, Russia and
Germany, which entered late to the arena of conflict and competition for control of maritime trade routes and access
to raw materials, taking advantage of the Ottoman Empire's need for loans, and to economic and military support. It
was suffering from political and military backwardness compared to these European countries.
Britain tended to resist European activity in the Arabian Gulf, to the politics of threats, appeasement and negotiations,
so we find the appeasement policy is reflected in the settlements it made with France in 1904, and with Russia in
1907, then its attempt to agree with Germany to supervise the Baghdad railway line in the event it extends to the
Arabian Gulf, that was actually done in June 1914, as for the politics of threat, it was revealed in the speech of Lord
LansDowne on May 5. 1903, in the British House of Lords.
Britain's adherence to the Gulf being a region of its influence, prevent any other country from accessing it. There was
no doubt that this statement is an affirmation of the policy that Britain adopted in the Arabian Gulf. It was the policy
of deporting any country trying to have a center in the Arabian Gulf, then the declaration of World War I in 1914 had
an opportunity for Britain to tighten its control over the Gulf and make it its own sphere of influence.
Devoted this research to studying an important aspect of that conflict. The British government’s position on German
activity for the period from 1870-1914 in areas considered Britain’s sphere of influence forbidden to other European
countries