User:Ryan4314/Sandboxes/Anglo-Russian relations
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| United Kingdom | Russia |
Anglo-Russian relations covers the relationship between the countries of Russia and the United Kingdom. Spanning nearly five centuries, it has often switched from a state of alliance to rivalry. Presently there is a diplomatic row going on over extraditions.
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[edit] History
[edit] 16th century
England (currently in the Tudor dynasty) first established contact with the Tsardom of Russia in 1553, when explorer Richard Chancellor penetrated the White Sea.[1] Russia's Tsar, Ivan IV, then began trading with England through Chancellor's "Muscovy Company". "Muscovy" was the western name for, Великое княжество Московское (which translates as "The Grand Duchy of Moscow"), Ivan's state in Russia.
Ivan considered seeking refuge in England and marrying Queen Elizabeth I should he need to flee Russia. Although Elizabeth granted him sanctuary whenever he required it, she refused his hand in marriage.[2]
[edit] 17th century
[edit] 18th century
[edit] 19th century
[edit] 20th century
[edit] 21st century
[edit] England-Tsardom of Russia relations
In the Grand Embassy of Peter I in 1697-98, the Czar Peter I of Russia visited Britain for three months.
[edit] United Kingdom-Imperial Russia relations
The two countries fought each other at the Seven Years' War.
The two countries fought together on the same side at the War of the Austrian Succession that took place at the years of 1740–1748.
Russia and Britain fought on the same side during the Revolutionary Wars of the 1790s. The failure of their joint invasion of the Netherlands in 1799 precipitated a change in attitudes.
Britain occupied Malta, while the Emperor Paul I of Russia was Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller. That led to the never-executed Indian March of Paul, which was a secret project of a planned allied Russo-French expedition against the British dominions in India.
The two countries fought each other at the Anglo-Russian War (1807-1812) from 1807 to 1812, after which Britain and Russia became allies against Napoleon in the Napoleonic Wars.
The two countries together fought on the same side at the Greek War of Independence (1821 – 1829).
The two countries then agreed a treaty in 1827, which was also signed by France, which called on the Ottoman Empire and Greece to cease hostilities, desiring Greek independence.
Britain and Russia fought each other during the Crimean War 1853-1856.
Rivalry between Britain and Russia developed over Central Asia in the Great Game of the late nineteenth century.
The two countries were together on the same side at the Boxer Rebellion at the years 1899-1901.
Anglo-Russian Entente and the Anglo-Russian Convention of 1907 made both countries part of the Triple Entente. Both countries were then part of the subsequent alliance against the Central Powers in the First World War.
[edit] USSR-UK relations
After the Russian Revolution, Britain sent troops to Russia in the Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War.
Britain recognised the USSR on February 1, 1924. Relations between then and the Second World War were tense, typified by the Zinoviev letter incident, which later turned out to be a forgery.
In 1938 a few western countries, including Britain signed the Munich Agreement with Nazi Germany. The USSR opposed to the pact and didn't recognize a part of Czechoslovakia becoming a part of Germany. [1]
As an answer for the fact that USSR's opinion wasn't even asked, the USSR signed the Nazi-Soviet pact as a response, which brought to light the fact that Britain had planned to support Finland against the USSR in the Winter War.
After Operation Barbarossa, Germany attacked the USSR in 1941, the USSR became one of the Allies of World War II along with Britain, fighting against the Axis Powers. The Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran secured the oil fields in Iran from falling into Axis hands. The Arctic convoys transported supplies between Britain and the USSR during the war.
Relations were tense during the Cold War, typified by spying. The British and American Venona project was established in 1942 for cryptanalysis of messages sent by Soviet intelligence.
Kim Philby was revealed as a member of the Cambridge Five spy ring, which was operating in England in 1963.
The KGB was suspected of the murder of Georgi Markov in London in 1978. The high ranking KGB official Oleg Gordievsky defected to London in 1985.
Margaret Thatcher pursued a strong anti-communist policy in concert with Ronald Reagan during the 1980s, in contrast with the detente policy of the 1970s, although relations became warmer after Mikhail Gorbachev came to power in 1985.
[edit] Russian Federation-United Kingdom relations
Since the collapse of the USSR, the Anglo-Russian relations initially improved, but have become worse in 21st century due to allegations of spying, extraditions disputes and Russian aricraft nearing British air space.
In 2003, Russia requested the extradition of "tycoon" Boris Berezovsky and Chechen separatist Akhmed Zakayev, Britain refused, having giving them both political asylum.[3] In early 2006, Russia accused UK diplomats of spying using a "fake rock".[4] In late 2006, former KGB officer Alexander Litvinenko was poisoned in London by radioactive metalloid, Polonium 210 and died 3 weeks later. Britain requested the extradition of Andrei Lugovoi from Russia to face charges over Litvinenko's death, Russia refused, stating their constitution does not allow extradition of their citizens to foreign countries. The dispute then escalated when Britain expelled four Russian diplomats, shortly followed by Russia expelling four British diplomats.[5] Russia feared some of its artwork due to be shown at an exhibition in London, could be seized and postponed sending it to the UK until a law was passed by the British government to protect it.[6] Russia then ordered two offices of the British Council situated in Russia to shut by the 1st of January 2008, claiming they were "operating illegally". Britain has refuted this claim and the council initially tried to keep their offices open. However work has been suspended at the offices, the council citing "intimidation" by the Russian authorities as the reason. The "Chief Executive" of the council said 20 of their Russian staff had been interview by the Russian security service (FSB) and a further 10 were visited at their homes by tax police in the night of January 15. On the same night, the son of former British Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock, who holds the post of "office director" at the St Petersburg branch, was detained for an hour by Russian authorities, allegedly for driving the wrong way up a one-way street and smelling of alcohol.[7][8]
In a reminder of the Cold War, Russia has recently recommenced its long range air patrols of the Tu-95 "Bear" bomber craft. These patrols have neared British airspace, requiring RAF fighter jets to "scramble" and escort them away.[9][10]
In a 2007 report by the head of security service MI5 Jonathan Evans, it was stated that:
"Since the end of the Cold War we have seen a no decrease in the numbers of undeclared Russian intelligence officers in the UK - at the Russian Embassy and associated organisations - conducting covert activity in this country."[11]
[edit] References
- ^ Richard Chancellor -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia. www.britannica.com. Retrieved on 2008-02-05.
- ^ {{cite web|url=http://www.bard.org/education/resources/shakespeare/wintersspring.html|title=Spring Always Comes after Winter|publisher=www.bard.org|accessdate=2008-02-05
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7188285.stm
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4638136.stm
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6906481.stm
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7165155.stm
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7139959.stm
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7193186.stm
- ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/check/player/nol/newsid_6950000/newsid_6957800?redirect=6957863.stm&news=1&nbram=1&nbwm=1&bbwm=1&bbram=1&asb=1
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6984320.stm
- ^ http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,91211-1291544,00.html Sky News report with Quote
[edit] External links
- BBC news, timeline of recent Anglo-Russian relations
- The Economist, Anglo-Russian relations, The big freeze
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