Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Introduction & Chapter Summaries
- Chapter Summaries
- List of Contributors
- Abbreviations/ Names and Name Order
- 1 British Relations with Japan, 1852–2017: An Overview
- 2 Lord John Russell, 1792–1878 [lst Earl Russell] Foreign Secretary, 1852–53, 1859–69
- 3 Lord Clarendon, 1800–1870 [George William Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon] Foreign Secretary, 1853–58, 1865–66, 1868–70
- 4 Lord Granville, 1815–1891 [George Leveson Gower, 2nd Earl Granville] Foreign Secretary, 1870–74, 1880–85
- 5 Lord Derby, 1826–1893 [Lord Stanley & 15th Earl of Derby] Foreign Secretary as Lord Stanley, 1866–68; as Lord Derby 1874–78
- 6 Lord Salisbury, 1830–1903 [3rd Marquess of Salisbury] Foreign Secretary, 1878–80, 1885–86, 1887–92, 1895–1900. Prime Minister, 1885–86, 1886–92, 1895–1902
- 7 Lord Rosebery, 1847–1929 [5th Earl of Rosebery] Foreign Secretary, 1886, 1892–94 Prime Minister, 1894–95
- 8 Lord Kimberley, 1826–1902 [John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley] Foreign Secretary, 1894–95
- 9 Lord Lansdowne, 1845–1927 [Henry Charles Keith Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne] Foreign Secretary, 1900–05
- 10 Sir Francis Bertie, 1844–1919 Key official in framing the Anglo-Japanese Alliance
- 11 Sir Edward Grey, 1862–1933 [Viscount Grey of Falloden] Foreign Secretary, 1905–16
- 12 Arthur James Balfour, 1848–1930 [lst Earl of Balfour] Foreign Secretary, 1916–19 Prime Minister, 1902–05
- 13 Lord Curzon, 1859–1925 [George Nathaniel, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston] Foreign Secretary, 1919–24
- 14 James Ramsay MacDonald, 1866–1937 Foreign Secretary, 1924 Prime Minister, 1929–31
- 15 Austen Chamberlain, 1863–1937 Foreign Secretary, 1924–29 Neville Chamberlain, 1869–1940 Prime Minister, 1937–40
- 16 Sir John Simon, 1873–1954 [lst Viscount Simon] Foreign Secretary, 1931–35
- 17 Lord Lytton, 1876–1947 [Victor Alexander George Robert Bulwer-Lytton, 2nd Earl of Lytton], A key role in advancing Anglo-Japanese Relations in the 1930s
- 18 Sir Samuel Hoare, 1880–1959 [Samuel Gurney, 1st Viscount Templewood] Foreign Secretary, June-December 1935
- 19 Sir Anthony Eden, 1897–1977 [lst Earl of Avon] Foreign Secretary 1935–38, 1940–45, 1951–55
- 20 Lord Halifax, 1881–1959 [Edward Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax] Foreign Secretary, 1938–40
- 21 Lord Hankey, 1877–1963 and R.A. Butler, 1902–1982 and the ‘Appeasement of Japan, 1939–1941 Foreign Secretary (Butler), 1963–64
- 22 Ernest Bevin, 1881–1951 Foreign Secretary, 1945–51
- 23 Winston Churchill, 1874–1965 Prime Minister, 1940–45, 1951–55
- 24 Britain and Japan, 1950–1990: A British Perspective
- 25 Sir Alec Douglas-Home, 1903–1995 [14th Earl of Home] Foreign Secretary, 1960–63, 1970–74 Prime Minister, 1963–64
- 26 Edward Heath, 1916–2005 Prime Minister, 1970–74
- 27 Margaret Thatcher, 1925–2013 [Baroness Thatcher] Prime Minister, 1979–90
- 28 Sir Geoffrey Howe, 1926–2015 [Lord Howe of Aberavon] Foreign Secretary, 1983–89
- Bibliography
- Index
2 - Lord John Russell, 1792–1878 [lst Earl Russell] Foreign Secretary, 1852–53, 1859–69
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 30 April 2022
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Introduction & Chapter Summaries
- Chapter Summaries
- List of Contributors
- Abbreviations/ Names and Name Order
- 1 British Relations with Japan, 1852–2017: An Overview
- 2 Lord John Russell, 1792–1878 [lst Earl Russell] Foreign Secretary, 1852–53, 1859–69
- 3 Lord Clarendon, 1800–1870 [George William Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon] Foreign Secretary, 1853–58, 1865–66, 1868–70
- 4 Lord Granville, 1815–1891 [George Leveson Gower, 2nd Earl Granville] Foreign Secretary, 1870–74, 1880–85
- 5 Lord Derby, 1826–1893 [Lord Stanley & 15th Earl of Derby] Foreign Secretary as Lord Stanley, 1866–68; as Lord Derby 1874–78
- 6 Lord Salisbury, 1830–1903 [3rd Marquess of Salisbury] Foreign Secretary, 1878–80, 1885–86, 1887–92, 1895–1900. Prime Minister, 1885–86, 1886–92, 1895–1902
- 7 Lord Rosebery, 1847–1929 [5th Earl of Rosebery] Foreign Secretary, 1886, 1892–94 Prime Minister, 1894–95
- 8 Lord Kimberley, 1826–1902 [John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley] Foreign Secretary, 1894–95
- 9 Lord Lansdowne, 1845–1927 [Henry Charles Keith Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne] Foreign Secretary, 1900–05
- 10 Sir Francis Bertie, 1844–1919 Key official in framing the Anglo-Japanese Alliance
- 11 Sir Edward Grey, 1862–1933 [Viscount Grey of Falloden] Foreign Secretary, 1905–16
- 12 Arthur James Balfour, 1848–1930 [lst Earl of Balfour] Foreign Secretary, 1916–19 Prime Minister, 1902–05
- 13 Lord Curzon, 1859–1925 [George Nathaniel, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston] Foreign Secretary, 1919–24
- 14 James Ramsay MacDonald, 1866–1937 Foreign Secretary, 1924 Prime Minister, 1929–31
- 15 Austen Chamberlain, 1863–1937 Foreign Secretary, 1924–29 Neville Chamberlain, 1869–1940 Prime Minister, 1937–40
- 16 Sir John Simon, 1873–1954 [lst Viscount Simon] Foreign Secretary, 1931–35
- 17 Lord Lytton, 1876–1947 [Victor Alexander George Robert Bulwer-Lytton, 2nd Earl of Lytton], A key role in advancing Anglo-Japanese Relations in the 1930s
- 18 Sir Samuel Hoare, 1880–1959 [Samuel Gurney, 1st Viscount Templewood] Foreign Secretary, June-December 1935
- 19 Sir Anthony Eden, 1897–1977 [lst Earl of Avon] Foreign Secretary 1935–38, 1940–45, 1951–55
- 20 Lord Halifax, 1881–1959 [Edward Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax] Foreign Secretary, 1938–40
- 21 Lord Hankey, 1877–1963 and R.A. Butler, 1902–1982 and the ‘Appeasement of Japan, 1939–1941 Foreign Secretary (Butler), 1963–64
- 22 Ernest Bevin, 1881–1951 Foreign Secretary, 1945–51
- 23 Winston Churchill, 1874–1965 Prime Minister, 1940–45, 1951–55
- 24 Britain and Japan, 1950–1990: A British Perspective
- 25 Sir Alec Douglas-Home, 1903–1995 [14th Earl of Home] Foreign Secretary, 1960–63, 1970–74 Prime Minister, 1963–64
- 26 Edward Heath, 1916–2005 Prime Minister, 1970–74
- 27 Margaret Thatcher, 1925–2013 [Baroness Thatcher] Prime Minister, 1979–90
- 28 Sir Geoffrey Howe, 1926–2015 [Lord Howe of Aberavon] Foreign Secretary, 1983–89
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
In June 1859, Lord John Russell, as he was known, took the post of foreign secretary in the first Liberal government formed by the Viscount Palmerston. Queen Victoria described these long-time rivals as ‘two dreadful old men’. From an established Whig family, and now nearly sixty-seven years old, Russell was already an elder statesman. Diminutive in stature, he had served in the House of Commons for over forty-five years, and commanded respect. This would be his second term as foreign secretary, having filled the post briefly in the early 1850s. Before that he had spent nearly four years as prime minister, although his Whig government struggled to cope with the Great Famine in Ireland. Known for his liberal outlook, Russell's reputation rested above all on his influential role in passing the First Reform Act back in 1832. Now in the twilight of his career, he would return to the theme of the franchise, but with Palmerston opposed to electoral reform, would have to wait until his old rival's death in 1865. That would be his cue to leave the Foreign Office for another turn as prime minister, and a chance to introduce a Reform Bill of his own. Resigning in 1866 when his bill was defeated, he looked on from the House of Lords as the Second Reform Act was passed the following year.
Less than two weeks after Russell's instalment as foreign secretary, a new chapter began in Britain's relations with Japan. From 1 July 1859, as provided in the Treaty of Yedo the previous year, Yokohama, Nagasaki and Hakodate were opened to foreign commerce, and reports were soon arriving in Whitehall from Rutherford Alcock, Britain's recently appointed consul-general in Japan. An advocate of laissez faire trade, Russell welcomed this opportunity to explore a new market. Given Britain's current record of costly, far-flung military campaigns he also hoped for a measure of tranquillity, and peaceful relations with Japan.
The Crimean War, for example, was fought on a near global scale. In 1854, it had taken Admiral Stirling to Nagasaki in search of Russian ships, and an Anglo-French squadron to the coast of Kamchatka for the siege of Petropavlosk. In India, the Sepoy Rebellion was then suppressed, but left Britain counting the cost of mounting obligations abroad.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- British Foreign Secretaries and Japan 1850-1990Aspects of the Evolution of British Foreign Policy, pp. 22 - 31Publisher: Amsterdam University PressPrint publication year: 2018