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| 1907, May 16 |
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| Pact of Cartagena among Britain, France, and Spain. It provided for the maintenance of the status quo in the Mediterranean and the part of the Atlantic that washes the shores of Europe and Africa. The agreement was directed chiefly at supposed German designs on the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands. | 1 |
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| June 15–Oct. 18 |
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| SECOND HAGUE PEACE CONFERENCE failed to reduce armaments, mainly because of British-German rivalry (See 1907, June 15–Oct. 18) ff.). | 2 |
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| July 30 |
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| Russian-Japanese agreement, similar to the Franco-Japanese agreement. | 3 |
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| July |
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| Renewal of the Triple Alliance for six years, despite the complete lack of faith on the part of Germany and Austria in Italy's loyalty. | 4 |
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| Aug. 31 |
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| THE ANGLO-RUSSIAN ENTENTE. This had been discussed at various times since the conclusion of the Russian-Japanese War and was encouraged by the French. Negotiations had lagged because of opposition in Russian court circles, because of the confusion created by the Russian revolutionary movement (See June–Aug), and because of the fears of Alexander Izvolski (Russian foreign minister since May 1906) lest Germany take offense. The agreement was much less extensive than that between France and Britain: Persia, the root of the Russian-British antagonism, was divided into three spheres of influence—a large Russian sphere in the north, covering the most valuable part of the country, a neutral sphere in the center, and a smaller British sphere in the southeast. Russia agreed that Afghanistan should be outside its sphere of influence and that it would deal with the emir only through Britain; Britain promised not to change the status of the country or to interfere with its domestic affairs. Both governments recognized the suzerainty of China over Tibet and promised to respect its territorial integrity. In a separate note (April 1907) the British government had expressed itself as well disposed toward a change in the Straits agreements favorable to Russia. In another separate note (Aug. 29) the Russian government recognized Britain's preponderant position in the Persian Gulf. | 5 |
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