Splendid isolation

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/splendid-isolation

1. What is the diplomatic approach?
2. What is the coined by?
3. What does "splendid isolation" mean for Britain?
4. Why did Britain decide to stay away from alliances after the Napoleonic Wars?

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the diplomatic approach?A 19th-century British foreign policy characterized by avoidance of permanent alliances
2. What is the coined by?George Eulas Foster, Canadian politician, January 1896
3. What does "splendid isolation" mean for Britain?It means Britain chose not to join permanent alliances and kept its own way of doing things.
4. Why did Britain decide to stay away from alliances after the Napoleonic Wars?After the wars, Britain wanted to protect its growing empire and keep its navy free to guard trade routes and colonies.

Balance of Power: A state of stability in international relations where no single nation is strong enough to dominate others.
Concert of Europe: A system of diplomatic congresses and consultations among European great powers from 1815 to 1914.
Geopolitical Interests: A nation's strategic concerns and objectives related to its geographical position and international influence.