Les négociations de la convention franco-ryūkyū : micro-histoire d’une relation diplomatique

Abstract

The convention between France and the Ryūkyū Kingdom was concluded on the 24th of November 1855. It was signed after six official negotiations and two unofficial interviews between the French representative, Nicolas François Guérin, and representatives appointed to fictitious positions by the Ryūkyū Kingdom’s government. Having been concluded in the wake of a military display of power on the part of the French, this convention is generally considered an unequal treaty. However, the Ryukyu Kingdom had already obtained a concession on the content of the convention, meaning that the French “gunboat diplomacy” had little real effect. Throughout the talks, both France and the Ryūkyū Kingdom used diplomatic strategy to both sway the negotiations in their favor and to achieve a compromise.

Keywords

• France
• Ryūkyū Kingdom
• 24 November 1855
• convention between France and Rykyu
• foreign policy
• diplomacy