British diplomacy benefited from arriving after Perry

A simple moral contrast between good British diplomacy and bad American diplomacy does not fit this account. Britain arrived after Perry's expedition had already forced open the central question of foreign access, allowing later British diplomacy to appear subtler without paying the same initial political cost. Russian pressure is characterized as still less restrained. The eventual weakening of Anglo-Japanese relations followed Britain's strategic choice to favor its relationship with the United States over continued alignment with Japan. Diplomatic reputation can reflect timing and realpolitik as much as national virtue.