Fear of Russia had helped underpin Britain's alliance with Japan. Russia's civil war later reduced that threat and weakened the reason for preserving the existing arrangement. Japan was also becoming harder to read as factional politics made its conduct less predictable. These changes help explain Britain's willingness to move beyond the alliance during the Washington settlement. They belong to the later diplomatic setting, distinct from Britain's prewar debate about relations with Germany.
Notable Point · 1:16:58-1:18:12
Russia and the end of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance
Russia's civil war reduced the threat behind the Anglo-Japanese Alliance, while concern about Japan's predictability helped make a different settlement attractive to Britain.