Britain and France had an Entente rather than a formal alliance, leaving Paris uncertain how far London would go in a European war. A British commitment to prevent the German Navy from attacking France's northern coast nevertheless shaped naval planning. Germany's invasion of Belgium became the act that brought Britain into the war, but it did not create Anglo-French military coordination from nothing. The formal wording concealed practical commitments already developing beneath it.
Notable Point · 1:57:15-1:57:49
Britain's practical commitment to France before 1914
Britain avoided a formal alliance with France while making practical naval commitments, leaving a gap between diplomatic language and the coordination already shaping war plans.