Alliances and Crises leading up to WWI Unit 10 Kagan, Ch. 26

Upset of the Balance of Power, 1870s  Germany – lg. population – wealth – industrial knowhow – military might  Austria – weak and falling apart  France – diminished prestige on Continent due to loss to Germany – ongoing dispute w/ Germans over Alsace-Lorraine – fear of Germany

Alliances after 1871 Three Emperors’ League, 1873 & Austro-German Alliance, Reinsurance Treaty, 1887 Triple Alliance, Franco-Russian Alliance, Germany Aust. - Hung. Russia Italy France Triple Entente, GB 1902 GB allied w/ Japan 1904 = entente cordial btw. GB & Fr. End of GB’s “splendid isolation”

Russo-Turkish War Pan-Slavism at Work  1877 – Serbia & Montenegro declare war on Ottoman Empire – they are defeated – BUT Russia intercedes and defeats Ottomans  1878 Treaty of San Stefano – lg. Bulgaria state created – Russian satellite = concern among European powers – Austria worried about Russian dominance in Balkans – British worried about Dardanelles and EVEN Suez Canal (rise of jingoism)  1878 Congress of Berlin (Bismarck = “honest broker”) annuls Treaty of San Stefano reduces size of Bulgaria Serbia, Montenegro and Romania = independent Bosnia & Herzegovina under Austrian protection Britain receives Cyprus *France occupies Tunisia

Kaiser Wilhelm II,  believed in the divine-right of kings  Germany’s “place in the sun” – alienates GB due to commercial / industrial threat – strives to develop a navy equal to GB’s  1890 Bismarck “resigns” (see Punch graphic) – alliance system begins to fall apart Caprivi does not re-issue the Reinsurance Treaty w/ Russia – Sig. = Russia finds ally in France!!  mutual dislike of Germans and British (view opening scene of Joyeux Noel)

Crises in Africa,  Fashoda Crisis (Fr vs. Brit over Nile in Sudan) – France forced to retreat from Sudan & recognize British dominance in Egypt – Britain promises to support France in Morocco  First Moroccan Crisis (Wilhelm II vs. Fr.) – Fr. has support of GB – March 31, 1905 Kaiser WII arrives in Tangiers and offers “open door” speech Germany wanted a multilateral conference w/ European powers Keep putting pressure on France (mobilization of troops on Continent actual begins) – Algeciras Conference (Spain), 1906 German supported by Austria Italy, Spain, US, Russia support France & GB – GERMANY humiliated; FRANCE and GB build closer ties

Crises in the Balkans  Balkans: tensions increase –Austria/Russia – Crisis 1: 1908 Austria annexes Bosnia & Herzegovina Russia intervenes on behalf of the Slavs Germany intervenes and Russia defeated & humiliated  Austria annexed Bosnia. The actions strained relations between Russia, who had an agreement with Austria, and France and Britain. At the same time, Germany pledged to support Austria, putting Austria in control of German foreign policy.

Second Moroccan Crisis, 1911  France sends troops  German will “protects [their] interests” – Panther dispatched to Agadir  Great Britain threatened – Is Germany building a naval base?  After the Second Moroccan Crisis, Britain and France moved closer together, creating a de facto alliance.

 Crisis 2: 1 st & 2 nd Balkan Wars – 1912 Balkan League (Se, Bu, Mo, Gr) vs. Ottomans – 1913: Gr, Se, Ro, OE vs. Bu over Macedonia & Albania = Serbia blocked; Albania independent  After Two Balkan Wars, Austria concluded Serbian territorial expansion by threatening to use force in Albania. The Alliance system was bending under the strain of international pressures.  Crisis 3: June 28, 1914 Serbian Gavrillo Princip of “Union of Death” / Black Hand kills Archduke Franz Ferdinand – heir to throne! Continuing Crises in the Balkans

Balkans, The Great War begins