Morocco in Diplomacy

Morocco in Diplomacy is a political book written by British journalist and pacifist Edmund Dene Morel. It was first published in 1912 by Smith, Elder & Co. in London.[1] The book examines the diplomatic tensions surrounding the Moroccan Crises and criticizes the role of secret diplomacy in escalating international conflicts, particularly between the European powers.[2]

Background

Morel wrote the book as a response to growing imperialist tensions in North Africa, especially the Agadir Crisis of 1911, which nearly led to war between France and Germany over influence in Morocco.[2] He argued that British foreign policy under Sir Edward Grey had aligned too closely with French interests, thus increasing the risk of Britain's involvement in a European conflict.[3]

Publication

The first edition of Morocco in Diplomacy was published in 1912. It had limited circulation, partly due to the sensitive nature of its criticisms of the British Foreign Office.[4] Despite its modest sales, the book was quietly read within influential political circles, particularly among members of the Labour and Liberal parties who were skeptical of Britain's foreign alliances.[1]

Reissue as Ten Years of Secret Diplomacy

Following the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, Morel republished the book under the title Ten Years of Secret Diplomacy: An Unheeded Warning. This revised edition was published by the National Labour Press, beginning in March 1914, with five editions issued by July 1918.[5] The book’s new title emphasized Morel's argument that secret diplomatic practices and undeclared commitments were key factors that led to war.[6]

Impact and Legacy

Ten Years of Secret Diplomacy influenced anti-war intellectuals and political movements in Britain during and after the war. It became a foundational text for the Union of Democratic Control (UDC), a pressure group co-founded by Morel in 1914 that advocated for democratic oversight of foreign policy and transparency in international agreements.[7] Though eclipsed by post-war revelations such as the Sykes–Picot Agreement and the Zimmermann Telegram, Morel's early warnings were retrospectively seen as prescient criticisms of pre-war diplomacy.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b Harries, Meirion. "Morel, Edmund Dene (1873–1924)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
  2. ^ a b c Heffernan, Michael (1998). The Meaning of Europe: Geography and Geopolitics. Arnold. pp. 84–86. ISBN 9780340677018.
  3. ^ Wilson, Trevor (2010). The Myriad Faces of War: Britain and the Great War 1914–1918. Polity Press. p. 154.
  4. ^ Brock, Michael G. (1982). H. H. Asquith: Letters to Venetia Stanley. Oxford University Press. pp. xxiii.
  5. ^ Friedrichs, Robert (2010). The Origins of World War I. Oxford University Press. p. 112.
  6. ^ Zimmern, Alfred E. (1936). The League of Nations and the Rule of Law, 1918–1935. Macmillan. pp. 45–47.
  7. ^ Riddell, Neil (1970). The Origins of the Union of Democratic Control. Vol. 13. Historical Journal. pp. 313–336. doi:10.1017/S0018246X00008890.

Further reading

  • Morel, E. D. (1912). Morocco in Diplomacy. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
  • Morel, E. D. (1914). Ten Years of Secret Diplomacy: An Unheeded Warning. Manchester: National Labour Press.
  • Wilson, Trevor. The Myriad Faces of War: Britain and the Great War 1914–1918. Polity Press, 2010.
  • Heffernan, Michael. The Meaning of Europe: Geography and Geopolitics. Arnold, 1998.
  • Zimmern, Alfred E. The League of Nations and the Rule of Law, 1918–1935. Macmillan, 1936.
  • Harries, Meirion. "Morel, Edmund Dene (1873–1924)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
  • Riddell, Neil. "The Origins of the Union of Democratic Control." *Historical Journal*, vol. 13, no. 2, 1970.
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