Sir Eyre Alexander Barby Wichart Crowe, GCB, GCMG (30 July 1864–28 April 1925) was a British diplomat. Badge of a Companion of the Order of the Bath (Military Division) Ribbon of the Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath (formerly The Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath)[1] is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on May 18, 1725. ... On the Orders insignia, St Michael is often depicted subduing Satan. ... is the 211th day of the year (212th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1864 (MDCCCLXIV) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... is the 118th day of the year (119th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1925 (MCMXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This page is about negotiations; for the board game, see Diplomacy (game). ...

Eyre Crowe was born in Leipzig and educated at Düsseldorf and Berlin and in France, with a German mother and a German wife. His father Joseph Archer Crowe had been a British consul-general and ended his career as commercial attache for all of Europe (1882-1896). His grandfather Eyre Evans Crowe was a journalist, writer and historian, and his uncle, Eyre Crowe, was an artist. Leipzig ( ; Sorbian/Lusatian: Lipsk from the Sorbian word for Tilia) is, with a population of over 506,000, the largest city in the federal state of Saxony, Germany. ... Düsseldorf (IPA: ) is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. ... This article is about the capital of Germany. ... Sir Joseph Archer Crowe (October 25, 1828 - September 6, 1896), English consular official and art critic, son of Eyre Crowe, was born in London. ... Eyre Evans Crowe (1799 - February 25, 1868), English journalist and historian, was born about the year 1799. ... Eyre Crowe (1824-1910) was an English painter, principally of historical art and genre scenes, but with an interest in social realism. ...

Crowe first visited England in 1881 when he was seventeen to cram for the Foreign Office examination and at the time was not fully fluent in English. Even later in life it was reported that when angry he spoke English with a German accent. He married his widowed German cousin Clema Gerhardt in 1903. Crowe's wife's uncle was Henning von Holzendorff, who was to become the Chief of the German Naval Staff in the First World War. Due to being half-German, Crowe was often attacked in the press and by Christabel Pankhurst and William le Queux for this during the First World War. For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ... Christabel Pankhurst Dame Christabel Harriette Pankhurst DBE (September 22, 1880 – February 13, 1958) was a suffragette born in Manchester, England. ... William Tufnell Le Queux (1864 - 1927) was a British journalist and writer. ...

Crowe entered the Foreign Office in 1885 and until 1895 was resident clerk. He served as assistant to Clement Hill in the African Protectorates' Department but when responsibility for the protectorates was handed over to the Colonial Office he was asked to reform the registery system. His success led to his appointed as senior clerk in the Western Department in 1906 and in January 1907 he produced an unsolicited Memorandum on the Present State of British Relations with France and Germany for the Foreign Office which stated Crowe's belief that Germany desired "hegemony" first "in Europe, and eventually in the world". Crowe stated that Germany presented a threat to the balance of power in Europe similar to the threat posed by Philip II of Spain, Bourbon and Napoleonic France. Crowe opposed appeasement of Germany because: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is the United Kingdom government department responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom abroad. ... The Secretary of State for the Colonies or Colonial Secretary was the British Cabinet official in charge of managing the various British colonies. ... The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is the United Kingdom government department responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom abroad. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... In international relations, a balance of power exists when there is parity or stability between competing forces. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... Philip II (Spanish: ; Portuguese: ) (May 21, 1527 – September 13, 1598) was King of Spain from 1556 until 1598, King of Naples from 1554 until 1598, king consort of England (as husband of Mary I) from 1554 to 1558, Lord of the Seventeen Provinces (holding various titles for the individual territories... Also see:  Early Modern France The House of Bourbon is an important European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty. ... Napoléon I, Emperor of the French (born Napoleone di Buonaparte, changed his name to Napoléon Bonaparte)[1] (15 August 1769; Ajaccio, Corsica – 5 May 1821; Saint Helena) was a general during the French Revolution, the ruler of France as First Consul (Premier Consul) of the French Republic from... Appeasement is a policy of accepting the imposed conditions of an aggressor in lieu of armed resistance, usually at the sacrifice of principles. ...

To give way to the blackmailer's menaces enriches him, but it has long been proved by uniform experience that, although this may secure for the victim temporary peace, it is certain to lead to renewed molestation and higher demands after ever-shortening periods of amicable forbearance.

Crowe further argued Britain should never give in to Germany's demands since:

The blackmailer's trade is generally ruined by the first resolute stand made against his exactions and the determination rather to face all risks of a possibly disagreeable situation than to continue in the path of endless concessions.

Sir Edward Grey, the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, said he found Crowe's memorandum "most valuable". Grey circulated the paper to the Prime Minister Campbell-Bannerman, Asquith, Ripon and Morley but there is no evidence either way that any of them either read or were influenced by the argument. The historian Richard Hamilton states: "Though a life-long Liberal, Crowe came to despise the Liberal Cabinets of 1906–1914, including Sir Edward Grey, for what he perceived as their irresolute attitude to Germany".^[1] Edward Grey, 1st Viscount Grey of Fallodon (April 25, 1862 – September 7, 1933), better known as Sir Edward Grey was a British politician and ornithologist. ... The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (commonly referred to as Foreign Secretary) is a member of the British Government responsible for relations with foreign countries, heading the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (often called simply the Foreign Office). ... Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman (7 September 1836 – 22 April 1908) , also known as Andie McDowell, was a British Liberal statesman who served as Prime Minister from December 5, 1905 until resigning due to ill health on April 3, 1908. ... Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, KG, PC (12 September 1852 – 15 February 1928) served as the Liberal Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1908 to 1916. ... This article is about the historic Liberal Party. ...

However, detractors of Crowe, for example the historian John Charmley, argue that he was being unduly pessimistic about Germany and by making warnings like these was encouraging war. John Charmley (born 1955) is a British diplomatic historian and a professor of modern history at the University of East Anglia, where he is head of the school of history. ...

During the First World War Crowe served in the Contraband Department and at the start of the 1919 Paris Peace Conference he was Assistant Under Secretary of Foreign Affairs and by June 1919 he was head of the political section of the British Delegation there. Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ... Paris 1919 redirects here. ...

Crowe was sceptical of the usefulness of the League of Nations and in a memorandum of 12 October 1916, he said that "a solemn league and covenant" would be "a treaty, like other treaties", and asked: "What is there to ensure that it will not, like other treaties, be broken?" Crowe was also sceptical on whether "the pledge of common action" against breakers of the peace would be honoured and Crowe thought that the balance of power and the considerations of national interest would determine individual states future actions. Crowe argued that boycotts and blockades, as advocated by the League of Nations, would not be of any use: "It is all a question of real military preponderance" in numbers, cohesion, efficiency and geographical location of each state. Universal disarmament, Crowe also argued, would be a practical impossibility.^[2] 1939–1941 semi-official emblem Anachronous world map in 1920–1945, showing the League of Nations and the world Capital Not applicable¹ Language(s) English, French and Spanish Political structure International organization Secretary-general  - 1920–1933 Sir James Eric Drummond  - 1933–1940 Joseph Avenol  - 1940–1946 Seán Lester Historical... is the 285th day of the year (286th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Friday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... A covenant, in its most general sense, is a solemn promise to do or not do something specified. ... The first two pages of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, in (left to right) German, Hungarian, Bulgarian, Ottoman Turkish and Russian A treaty is an agreement under international law entered into by actors in international law, namely states and international organizations. ... Collective Security is a system aspiring to the maintenance of peace, in which participants agree that any breach of the peace is to be declared to be of concern to all the participating states, and will result in a collective response. ... In international relations, a balance of power exists when there is parity or stability between competing forces. ... 1939–1941 semi-official emblem Anachronous world map in 1920–1945, showing the League of Nations and the world Capital Not applicable¹ Language(s) English, French and Spanish Political structure International organization Secretary-general  - 1920–1933 Sir James Eric Drummond  - 1933–1940 Joseph Avenol  - 1940–1946 Seán Lester Historical... Disarmament means the act of reducing or depriving arms i. ...

Crowe was Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign Office from 1920 until his death in 1925. This is a list of Permanent Under-Secretaries in the British Foreign Office since 1790. ...

Crowe was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in 1907, Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in 1911, Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in 1917, Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) in the 1920 New Year Honours, and Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) in the 1923 Birthday Honours. Badge of a Companion of the Order of the Bath (Military Division) Ribbon of the Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath (formerly The Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath)[1] is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on May 18, 1725. ... On the Orders insignia, St Michael is often depicted subduing Satan. ...

Lord Vansittart in his memoirs said of Crowe: "a dowdy, meticulous, conscientious agnostic with small faith in anything but his brain and his Britain"^[3] and Stanley Baldwin called him "our ablest public servant" whilst A. J. P. Taylor claimed "Crowe always thought he knew better than his political superiors".^[4] Robert Gilbert Vansittart (1881 - 1957) was a signficant British diplomat. ... Stanley Baldwin, 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley, KG, PC (3 August 1867 – 14 December 1947) was a British statesman and thrice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. ... Alan John Percivale Taylor (March 25, 1906 – September 7, 1990) was a renowned English historian of the 20th century. ...

Charles Hardinge, 1st Baron Hardinge of Penshurst (20 June 1858 - 2 August 1944) was a British diplomat and statesman who served as Viceroy of India from 1910 to 1916. ... This is a list of Permanent Under-Secretaries in the British Foreign Office since 1790. ... William George Tyrrell, 1st Baron Tyrrell (1866 - 1947) was a British diplomat. ...

Notes

1. ^ Richard Hamilton, The Origins of World War I (Cambridge University Press, 2003), p. 272.
2. ^ Correlli Barnett, The Collapse of British Power (Pan, 2002), p. 245.
3. ^ Robert Gilbert Vansittart, The Mist Procession (Hutchinson, 1958), p. 45.
4. ^ A. J. P. Taylor, English History, 1914 - 1945 (Oxford University Press, 1990), p. 226.

Correlli Barnett (born June 28, 1927 in Norbury, Surrey) is an English military historian, who has written also on the United Kingdoms industrial decline. ...

Bibliography

• Sibyl Crowe and Edward Corp, Our Ablest Public Servant: Sir Eyre Crowe GCB, GCMG, KCB, KCMG, 1864-1925 (Devon, 1993)
• F.H. Hinsley (ed.), British Foreign Policy Under Sir Edward Grey (Cambridge, 1977)
• Zara S. Steiner, The Foreign Office and Foreign Policy 1898-1914 (Cambridge, 1969)

External links

• Full Text: Crowe Memorandum, January 1, 1907
• Catalogue of the papers of Sir Eyre Crowe