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| 1905, March 31 |
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| VISIT OF THE GERMAN EMPEROR TO TANGIER, initiating the first Moroccan crisis. Delcassé had wantonly excluded the Germans from the Moroccan negotiations and had not officially communicated the agreement with Britain. The Germans were uncertain about the Anglo-French entente, but had declared their disinterestedness in Morocco except for the Open Door, regarding which Delcassé had given assurances. The French had thereupon proceeded to capitalize on the free hand secured in the agreements with Italy, Britain, and Spain. After the failure of the German-Russian negotiations, Bülow and Holstein decided to make the Moroccan affair a test of the strength of the Anglo-French entente and carried the unwilling emperor along on this course. At Tangier he proclaimed Germany's adherence to the principles of independence and integrity and declared in favor of the policy of equal opportunity for all. His visit at once created a panic in Paris and led to a loud outcry against Delcassé's policy. Delcassé at once offered to make good his mistake and to buy off the German opposition, but the Germans turned a deaf ear. | 1 |
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| May 17, 25 |
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| British correspondence with France. The British, apprehensive about German designs on the Moroccan coast, proposed “full and confidential discussion…in anticipation of any complications.” Delcassé took this as the first step toward an alliance and tried to develop the British advance, but Rouvier objected. | 2 |
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| June 6 |
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| FALL OF DELCASSÉ, who urged the French cabinet to accept the British offers. He argued that the Germans were only bluffing and that a Franco-British front would be invincible. The cabinet voted unanimously against him, fearing that France was poorly prepared for war, that an agreement with Britain would precipitate war at a time when Russia was rendered helpless by her defeat in the Far East, and that France would bear the burden of German hostility. Rouvier took over the foreign office and renewed his efforts to strike a bargain. The Germans stood by their previous attitude. | 3 |
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| July 8 |
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| The French government, assured of American support against unreasonable demands (the U.S. had agreed to help mediate), accepted the idea of a conference. | 4 |
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| July 24 |
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| BJÖRKÖ TREATY, signed by Emperor William and the tsar during a visit to each other's yachts. The treaty was essentially a return to the draft of Oct. 1904, excepting that it was to be confined to Europe and was to take effect only after the conclusion of peace between Russia and Japan. Bülow objected to its restriction to Europe and threatened to resign, but was persuaded to remain after an appeal from the emperor. The treaty was vigorously opposed by the Russian foreign office and was ultimately wrecked by the refusal of the French government, estranged by the Moroccan crisis, even to consider joining in such a pact (Oct.). | 5 |
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| Aug. 12 |
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| Renewal of the Anglo-Japanese alliance for ten years. The treaty was modified to provide for mutual support in the event of attack by one other power, and was extended to include India. | 6 |
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| Sept. 28 |
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| France and Germany finally reached an agreement on the agenda for the Moroccan conference, which was to meet in Jan. 1906. Most of the French demands were met, in the hope that France would be disposed to accede to the Björkö treaty. | 7 |
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