The road to war in Europe 1870 - 1914 The alliance system International rivalry
The alliance system Bismarck is the key here Franco – Prussian war 1870 – 71 Treaty of Frankfurt 1871 French desire for revenge Bismarck – get friends for Germany and keep France isolated – create the alliance system
Bismarck’s system Avoid a two front war Keep friendly with Russia Keep friendly with Austria-Hungary But the Balkans get in the way!
An impossible task? DreiKaiserBund 1873 War in the Balkans 1877 – Russia creates « big Bulgaria » Bismarck calls Congress of Berlin Russia furious, Bismarck signed Dual Alliance with Austria 1879
Second DreiKaiserBund 1879 Renewed 1884 Russia refused to renew it in 1887 – Bulgarian crisis So what can Bismarck do now?
Mediterranean Agreements and Reinsurance Treaty First Mediterranean Agreement 1887 (keep France isolated) Reinsurance Treaty with Russia 1887 Second Mediterranean Agreement 1887 (really to protect Germany if France and Russia ever formed an alliance)
Creation of Triple Alliance 1879 Dual Alliance 1882 Italy joined
Reinsurance treaty not renewed Alliance sytem now divided Europe Bismarck dismissed 1890 Reinsurance treaty not renewed Alliance sytem now divided Europe
Creation of Triple Entente 1892 French / Russian military agreements Dual Entente 1894 Britain and France « entente cordiale » 1904 (no military clauses) Naval discussions 1907 Britain / Russia Entente.
Europe now divided into two armed camps Alliance system had a series of clauses which involved automatic and immediate military action
International Rivalry Weltpolitik Anglo German relations and naval arms race Crises in Morocco 1905 & 1911 The July crisis 1914