What was the most likely thing to cause Anglo-French war between 1816 and 1914?

Most likely cause of Anglo-French war in 1816-1914 era

  • The Fashoda crisis over the Nile headwaters

    Votes: 15 60.0%
  • Some other crisis

    Votes: 7 28.0%
  • Anglo-French war in that century was nearly impossible

    Votes: 3 12.0%

  • Total voters
    25

raharris1973

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Did the Fashoda crisis really bring the two countries close to war?

Did the Siam crisis do so?

Proxy struggles via the Ottomans and Muhammad Ali?

What in post-Napoleonic, pre-WWI era had the greatest potential to lead to Anglo-French hostility?
 
Is it cheating to pick Napoléon escaping again?

It might be. I could be wrong, but I have a feeling that if Napoléon somehow escaped from St. Helena, the British won’t be nearly as lenient as when he escapes from Elba. I wonder if there would be those who would argue that he should be shot.
 
A radical revolution in France that leads to them attacking Britain out of ideological zealotry. No sane government would do it for most of the period.

Alternatively you could have an earlier great war with a Franco-German alliance somehow forming, but probably means a different unification of Germany.
 
The Paris Commune or similar uprising taking over the country could cause the British to attack, I highly doubt the beating heart of world capital in the 19th century would tolerate a socialist state right across the Channel.
 
Other than the Fashoda Crisis, they could have found themselves on opposite sides if the Russo-Japanese War escalated.
 
If either side ever wanted a war, there were plenty of things that could have led to war: Fashoda for one, the Siam crisis was even more intense. But the list is long Niger, Madagascar, Tunis



They don't fight because wars don't erupt over incidents but because of deep political conflict. One side wants war and then the incident is used. America wanted war and the Maine explosion was the flimsiest of pretexts. Meanwhile, something like Dogger Bank is just a blip on the screen because neither Russia or Britain saw war in their interests

Getting to a situation where either side was determined for war is rather hard. Post 1870, France would need a powerful ally to keep Germany at least neutral which is hard. From 1848, Napoleon III whole policy is based on good relations with the British- to the point that he surrenders at Sedan rather than sneak out through Belgium

That leaves the 1816-48 period. Frankly, by 1816 Europe was so sick of war I doubt if anyone would start a new one for quite a while but France is still immune from an invasion so its possible but extremely

To get an Anglo-French war you would have to radically change the course of Europe. A French victory in the 1870 War leading to insane demands. But that would also mean no Napoleon III
 
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