When the Archduke Franz Ferdinand is shot and the alliances are 'switched on' there was still questioning in the British Government as to whether they would be involved in the ensuing conflict or not. The Ententes with France and Russia did not necessitate military action, they were only understandings and could impose no obligations on Great Britain, but perhaps these ententes resembled alliances by 1914 and Britain felt a real obligation to go to war. This essay will examine to what extent Britain's entry into the war was a result of her ententes with Russia and France.
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