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Did the 1904 Entente Cordiale Originate in Bordeaux Thanks to Sports in 1895? Reflections on Sport Diplomacy

2023; Routledge; Volume: 40; Issue: 2-3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/09523367.2023.2177273

1743-9035

Jean‐François Loudcher, Pierre Durand, Julien Le Roux, Éric Claverie,

Sports and Physical Education Studies

AbstractSucceeding François Guizot and Lord Hamilton Gordon’s ‘cordial understanding’, the Franco-British 1904 Entente cordiale has been widely studied in its diplomatic, trading and touristic aspects through sport. Maybe because of its vital role in the First World War, its social facet has been less explored. Lord-Mayor of London’s visit to Bordeaux’s last international exhibition in September 1895, enhanced by two days of cycling festivities and races, shows masonic links within the French organisers and with certain British contributors. As such, this could have been considered not as the first sport diplomatic act but as an attempt which have been occurred in this way and led to the creation of a British association called ‘Entente cordiale’ which had no equivalent in France. Despite some actions both side of the Channel, ahead of the official agreement, and the creation of a new organisation in Normandy in connection with the Touring Club de France, the expression rapidly faded out. Finally, this study shows what conditions must be met for a sporting event to be described as diplomatic. The distinction between sport diplomacy and diplomacy through sport is not enough in the light of history to explore international political relations.Keywords: Entente cordialeBordeauxSport DiplomacyWine TradingTourismCycling races Disclosure StatementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Notes1 Ulrich Beck, La Société du risque (Paris: Flammarion, 2001).2 Jérémie Ruellan and Françoise Gassmann, ‘La diplomatie par le sport : le Qatar entre dans l'arène’, Regard critique 9, n°1 (2014) 3.3 Paul Vallet, Dans l'ombre d'Edouard et de Delcassé : les fonctionnaires britanniques et français vis-à-vis de l'entente cordiale (PUF: relations internationales, 2004).4 Journal de l'automobile, du cyclisme et de tous les sports (1904–1906): L'Auto (1900–1907); La Vie Au Grand Air (1901–1907); Le Jockey (1900–1907): Le Vélo (1896–1904): Les sports Modernes (1905–1907).5 ‘Grand Match international’, L'Auto, 6 December, 1904, 1.6 ‘La Coupe de l’Entente Cordiale’, L’Auto, 10 December, 1906, 9.7 La Vie Au Grand Air, 18 August, 1905.8 La Vie au Grand Air, 9 Febuary, 1906.9 Pierre de Coubertin, ‘Letter to M.A. Fleuret, the President of the Nautical Societies of Paris’, Les Sports Athlétiques, n°221, June 23 (1894), 520.10 See Norbert Müller and Otto Schantz, Pierre de Coubertin (1863–1937): complete works (Lausanne: Edited by Comité International Pierre de Coubertin, 2013).11 Two big cardboards dealing with this event are at disposal at the archives of the Métropole (Bordeaux), Cardboard 1, 2, 403 F3. A reference on the net indicates than more than 2 millions visitors would have attended the fair. https://ccfr.bnf.fr/portailccfr/ark:/06871/0011129841512 Albert Tisseyre, Compte-rendu financier, XIIIe Exposition, Société Philomathique (Bordeaux: Imprimerie administrative Ragot, 1895). Cardboard 1, 403 F3, Archives of the ‘Métropole’ of Bordeaux.13 Ibid.14 Letter from the president Albert Hausser and Jules Avril to Charles Cazalet, municipal councillor of the Bordeaux’ mayor, Bordeaux, 15 March 1894, Cardboard 1, 403 F3, Archives of the ‘Métropole’ of Bordeaux.15 He was the president of the French Gymnastic Societies Union in 1894 (USGF). Protestant, he acted a lot in favour of the workers citizen of Bordeaux. Jean-Paul Callède, ‘Charles Cazalet (1858–1933), patron bordelais. Philanthropie, réseaux d'action sociale et modernisation de la vie locale’, Bulletin d'histoire de la sécurité sociale, no 40, (juillet 1999), 47–76.16 Le Vengeur, 26 May 1895, signed, the indiscreet. Cardboard 1, 403 F3, Archives of the ‘Métropole’ of Bordeaux.17 In fact, the XXXIrst national gymnastic meeting will be organised by the USGF on the 24th July 1895 in Périgueux.18 Ibid. The Dreyfus case (in French ‘l’Affaire Dreyfus’) is a political scandal that divided the Third French Republic from 1894 until its resolution in 1906. Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish French army officer, was charged with national treason, giving military information to Germany. The conspiracy was proved. ‘L'Affaire’ symbolized modern injustice in the francophone world, and it remains one of the most remarkable examples of a complex error of justice and anti-Semitism. The role played by the press and public opinion has been influential in the conflict especially through the famous front page article of Emile Zola published in L'Aurore of the 13 January 1898, titled; ‘J’Accuse’ (‘I accuse’).19 La France, 13 July 1895.20 La France, 13 July 1895.21 Bordeaux-Figaro, 3 August, 1895.22 Sir Joseph Renals, 1st Baronet (21 February 1843–1 November 1908). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Joseph_Renals,_1st_Baronet23 The Philomathique Society took all the possibilities to attract private entertainment to the fair, specifically concerning sport. For example, the fair hosted the start of a race of stilts and horses on May 23 at 7am (La Petite Gironde, May 22 (1895), 4). A further link is highlighted between La Petite Gironde (Gounouilhou) and the fair (Hausser) because it is this newspaper that launched this regional and rather exotic ‘sport’ of the stilt in 1892 with a race from Bordeaux to Biarriz and back (about 400 km). See Corine Guillon, L’émergence du sport dans la presse généraliste régionale ; l’exemple de la Petite Gironde de 1872 à 1913 (STAPS PHD, Bordeaux, March 18, 2022), supervised by J.-F. Loudcher, 295. An international rowing race should have been also organised by the Société Nautique Bordelaise. Archives of the Métropole (Bordeaux), Cardboard 2, 403 F3.24 Revue des vins et liqueurs et des produits alimentaires pour l'exportation, Volume XV, 1891, 1143.25 Revue des vins et liqueurs et des produits alimentaires pour l'exportation, volume XV, 1891, 372.26 Aberdeen Press and Journal, 6 March, 1911.27 See Henrique, Nos contemporains: galerie coloniale et diplomatique.28 Forgotten Victorians website. the Roper Parkinsons: the early years. https://williamgray101.wordpress.com/2017/03/20/the-roper-parkingtons-the-early-years (accessed January 13th, 2022).29 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Mayor_of_London (accessed January 13th 2022)30 Le Vélo, 10 September, 1895.31 La Petite Gironde, Monday 9 September, 1895, 2.32 The term claret – known as a wine of few quality – was generally used in England to symbolize the blood gushing from the nose in boxing encounters. See Jean-François Loudcher, Histoire de la savate, du chausson et de la boxe française (Paris: L’Harmattan, 2000).33 Jean-François Loudcher, English Influence on the French Development of Sport in the 19th Century: the Example of the ‘Bordeaux Athletic Club’ (1876). https://www.playingpasts.co.uk/articles/athletics/english-influence-on-the-french-development-of-sport-in-the-19th-century-the-example-of-the-bordeaux-athletic-club-1876. (accessed January 13 2022).34 See Guillon. Julien Krier, L’école d’EP bordelaise: une oeuvre scientifique, hygiénique et sociale (1888–1968) (STAPS PHD, Bordeaux, March 15, 2022) supervised by J.-F. Loudcher and Eric Claverie.35 One of the Hutchinson's sons, Stanley, would settle in Bordeaux as a wine and spirit merchant. Jean-Paul Callède, La naissance et le développement du Stade Bordelais (1889–1900) in Histoire du sport en France, ed. J.-.P. Callède (Bordeaux: Editions de la maison des sciences de l'homme d'Aquitaine, 1993), 17–59.36 The president of the Union Vélocipédiste de France, M. d'Iriart d'Etchepare, attended the sporting event. Faced with the opposition of the two main French cycling bodies in power in this country (UVF and USFSA), the southwest’s sportsmen (Martin, Tissié, Gounouilhou, etc.) struggled for regional independence against Parisian centralism: UVF then embodies the first and the USFSA the second. The quarrel reached a peak with rugby from 1900 onwards. See Guillon.37 He imported some foreign cycles (Famous English cycle de Rudge) thanks to the Company he created; Rousset et Cie.38 Le Vélo, 10 September, 1895. This absence can be noticed although he visited the international fair organized by the Philomathique Society at the beginning of June. La Petite Gironde, (4 June 1895) 3.39 In 1892 the British launched the first international organization in cycle (ICA), to establish a common definition of amateurism and organize world championships. But the situation was complicated. At the London meeting, the main body of the French Cycle (UVF) was not able to vote while the Union of French Athletic Sports Societies (USFSA) was present and advocated the amateur status unlike the UVF. In addition, the French objected that Great Britain had more than one voice and more than one team in the championships (Ireland, Wales, Scotland). Paul Rousseau seized the opportunity of Paris OG in 1900 to launch the UCI and Great Britain joined in 1903.40 ‘Fête cycliste au vélodrome du Parc’, Le véloce-Sport, 12 September, 1895, 794–800.41 See Guillon, L’émergence du sport dans la presse généraliste.42 ‘Rapport sur la situation financière de la société’, Bulletin de la société Philomathique, General Assembly 28 November 1883, T.1 December 1899.43 Barette was a kind of rugby without any rough body contacts. The Ligue Girondine d'Education Physique is a regional movement to renovate school games and gymnastics, but it has had also a national importance. It is Philippe Tissié who was the inventor of the original form of ‘barette’ (written with single ‘r’), brought up to date, in an adapted form, by women rugby players and Dct. Houdré between the Two World Wars (see Lydia J. Furse, ‘Barrette: le Rugby Féminin in France 1920s’, The International Journal of the History of Sport, vol. 36, 19 (2019): 941–958). In any case, the barette was related to a traditional medieval game. See Jean-François Loudcher, ‘Spécificités socio-politiques et culturelles de la destinée d’un jeu de balle traditionnel rural français: la non-sportivisation de la soule (choule)’, Sport History Review n°19, 2 (2019): 219–224.44 See Guillon, L’émergence du sport dans la presse généraliste.45 http://www.dreyfus.culture.fr/fr/pedagogie/bio–ludovic-trarieux.htm46 La Petite Gironde, Wednesday 11th September, 1895, 3.47 La Petite Gironde, Monday 9th September, 1895, 1.48 Stockwell Lodge register, 1883.49 Louis Henrique, Nos contemporains: galerie coloniale et diplomatique, volume 3 (1898).50 La Petite Gironde, Thursday 12 September 1895, 2.51 Francis Charles Dehault de Pressensé, born on September 30, 1853 in Paris, where he died on January 19, 1914, was a French journalist, deputy and politician. He was a founder and president of the League of Human Rights from 1903 to 1914.52 Francis De Pressensé, ‘Politique étrangère’, La Petite Gironde, Saturday 14 September, 1895, 1.53 Ibid.54 Let’s recall that Sir Parkington was a close relation to the Prince of Wales.55 Jean-Louis de Lanessan, Histoire de l'entente cordiale franco-anglaise, les relations de la France et de l'Angleterre depuis le XVIe siècle jusqu'à nos jours (Paris: Félix Alcan, 1916), 218.56 Westminster Gazette, 23 November, 1896.57 Jean-Baptiste-Alexandre-Damase de Chaudordy, La politique extérieure et colonial de la France, Plon, 1896.58 Ludovic Trarieux, ‘Pourquoi pas?’, Le Matin, 25 November 1895.59 Jean-Louis de Lanessan, op. cit., 220.60 Le Figaro, Friday 16 April 1897, 3. Le Journal de la chambre du Commerce, 25 May 1897, 3–4. Président, Louis de Lanessan: Secretary, Louis Henrique (responsabible for the colony): Members, M. Labiche (Congressman), M. Desmons (Congressman), Frédéric Passy (former Congressman), Dutrénit, Trarieux….61 De Lanessan, op.cit., 233.62 Ibid.63 Le Petit journal, 1 août 1903, 3.64 Mike Cronin & Richard Holt, ‘The Globalisation of Sport. Mike Cronin and Richard Holt discover the roots of international sport in France’, History Studies, vol. 53, 7 (2005), 26–33.65 In their general report on the Franco-British exhibition in London (1908), the two reporters, Yves Guyot and Roger Sandoz, mentioned both the Entente cordiale and the Olympic Games. The report of the number of citations is quite eloquent: for all three volumes, 26 occurrences of the ‘Olympic Games’ and 94 of the ‘entente cordiale’ can be noted. Yves Guyot and Roger Sandoz, Exposition franco-britannique de Londres, 1908: rapport général (tome II, 1909).66 ‘Pour les pêcheurs Bretons, Soirée organisée par l’Entente Cordiale’, L’Aurore, 21 May, 1903, 3. Lord Mayor of London attended the event.67 La Vie au Grand Air, 3 July, 1903.68 La Dépêche, 7 May, 1903.69 Revue Mensuelle du Touring Club de France, 15 June, 1903.70 Revue Mensuelle du Touring Club de France, 15 July, 1903.71 Revue Mensuelle du Touring Club de France, 11 June, 1905.72 Jean-Michel Peter, Philippe Tétart, ‘L’influence du tourisme balnéaire dans la diffusion du tennis. Le cas de la France de 1875 à 1914’, STAPS, n°61 (2003), 73–91. See Chovaux ‘La diffusion des sports athlétiques’.73 See Chovaux, ‘La diffusion des sports athlétiques’.74 L'Auto, 14 December, 1903.75 John Robinson Whitley's biography, Chateau d'Hardelot's website. https://www.chateau-hardelot.fr/Explorer/Histoire-du-chateau/BIOGRAPHIES-Quelques-personnages/BIOGRAPHIE-John-Robinson-Whitley (accessed January 13th, 2022).76 Bournemouth Daily Echo, 18 June, 1901.77 L'Entente Cordiale, 18 November, 1905.78 Bournemouth Daily Echo, 18 June, 190179 L'Entente cordiale, 18 November, 1905. ‘le rendez-vous résidentiel Franco-Anglais de tous les adhérents de l'Entente Cordiale'80 Jean-François Loudcher, ‘La France au centre de la modernité sportive?’, Histoire du sport en France, Du Second Empire au régime de Vichy, ed. P. Tétart (Paris: Vuibert-Musée National du Sport, 2007), 107–129.81 As showing the creation in France of the National Sport Committee (1908) and the Olympic Committee (1911). Moreover, regarding the relative « bad » results of France at the Stockholm OG, journal campaign has denonced a « Warterloo defeat » and has claimed for a French sport Ministry. See Jean-François Loudcher & Eric Monnin, ‘Le Comité National des Sports : Un nouveau modèle de gouvernance (1901–1925)?’, Olympika, v. XXII (2013): 71–91.82 Let’s indicate that relationships started out of the field of competition were one of the condition, according to Norbert Elias, to launch the sportivization process in the XVIIth–XVIIIth century. See Jean-François Loudcher, ‘Violence, sport et éducation ; l’apport de la théorie de Norbert Elias’, Revue EP.S, 373, déc. (2016): 10–15. Jean-François Loudcher, ‘Procès de civilisation et transformations sociales ; une discussion de la théorie de Norbert Elias dans le domaine du sport’, Loisir et société, 43, n°3 (2020): 372–392.83 It is interesting to notice that the expression of Fair-Play was not often used in the French newspapers according to our research.Additional informationNotes on contributorsJean-François LoudcherJean-François Loudcher is Professor of Historical and Social Sciences at the University of Bordeaux. His work deals with the history of physical education and sport in France and abroad. The topics he explores are related to body techniques, image analysis, violence, the Olympic games, as well as the comparative history of sport and its teaching in France (coaching). He has been involved in the analysis of public and territorial policies allowing him to feed his gaze on the sporting heritage and heritage processes.Pierre Durand is a PhD in social sciences of sport. His works deal with the analysis of the comparison of two companies, Boardriders and Rossignol, through their history with sociological and managerial tools. He is associate lecturer at the University of Bordeaux.Pierre DurandJean-François Loudcher is Professor of Historical and Social Sciences at the University of Bordeaux. His work deals with the history of physical education and sport in France and abroad. The topics he explores are related to body techniques, image analysis, violence, the Olympic games, as well as the comparative history of sport and its teaching in France (coaching). He has been involved in the analysis of public and territorial policies allowing him to feed his gaze on the sporting heritage and heritage processes.Pierre Durand is a PhD in social sciences of sport. His works deal with the analysis of the comparison of two companies, Boardriders and Rossignol, through their history with sociological and managerial tools. He is associate lecturer at the University of Bordeaux.Julien RouxJulien Roux is a former master student of Jean-François Loudcher. He is a primary school teacher and independent researcher in sport history.Eric ClaverieEric Claverie is a lecturer in Sport history at the University of Bordeaux. His work deals with the history of physical education and sport in France. The topics he explores are related to the history of sport training in France.