1. EUROPE: THE ROLE OF BISMARCK

2. Who was Bismarck? ● Born in 1815 into a wealthy land-owning family. ● 1862: Chief Minister of Prussia. ● Secured the UNIFICATION OF GERMANY ● 1871: Imperial Chancellor of the German Empire.

3. What was the position of the German Empire in 1871? ● The greatest military power. ● Major industrial power. ● Other nations expected Germany to follow an aggressive foreign policy. ● Bismarck aimed to reassure leaders of Europe that he was a man of peace. ● Rule: authoritarian, militaristic. ● Kaiser: chose the Chancellor.

4. What was the position of the German Empire in 1871? ● The unification had led to rapid industrial expansion. ● There was a growing pressure for overseas colonies.

5. Relations with France ● France was a key enemy ever since the 1871 Franco-Prussian War. ● Bismarck did not fear France alone, but feared an alliance of another major power with France would leave Germany vulnerable to attack. ● Fear of a war on two fronts. ● AIM: To deprive France of allies. ● Austria-Hungary and Russia would be logical allies, but they opposed one another and this made the situation complex for Bismarck.

6. Rivalry in the Balkans ● Russia: wanted influence in the Balkans to have access to the Meditteranean. They wanted the Turkish Empire to break up. ● Austria-Hungary: wanted the Turkish Empire to remain strong. They feared NATIONALISM would spread into Austria-Hungary and cause the break up of Austria-Hungary. ● BISMARCK: WISHED TO MAINTAIN RELATIONS WITH BOTH EMPIRES. WHAT DID HE DO?

7. Dreikaiserbund ● Three emperors. Franz Joseph (Austria- Hungary, Tsar Alex II of Russia and William I of Germany. ● General agreement of solidarity against social revolution. ● Agreement of ● conservative powers.

8. Dreikaiserbund What is the meaning of this cartoon?

9. The Balkans Crisis 1875-1878 ● Serbians revolted against Turkish rule. ● Russia moved to help Serbia and this led to war between Russia and Turkey in 1877. ● Austria-Hungary and Britain demanded a Congress of Powers and this led to the CONGRESS OF BERLIN in 1878. ● The fate of Turkey was a matter of concern to all powers. ● Russian domination was checked without war. ● Some states gained independence from Turkey.

10. Europe after the Congress of Berlin

11. Bismarck and Austria-Hungary ● Bismarck backed up Austria-Hungary over Russia (why?) and this ended the Dreikaiserbund. ● In 1879 the Dual Alliance with Austria-Hungary was formed. (support one another in the event of an attack from Russia). ● Why? Bismarck wanted to avoid Austria-Hungary forming an alliance with Britain and France. ● “I wanted to dig a ditch between her and the Western Powers”.

12. Renewal of Dreikaiserbund 1881 ● Bismarck hoped to rebuild relations with Russia. ● June 1881 the League of the Three Emperors was renewed. ● If one of the three powers was at war with a fourth power then the other two would stay neutral. ● Enabled Austria-Hungary to expand into Bosnia and Herzegovina and Russia to infleunce Bulgaria and Eastern Rumelia. ● The treaty meant Russia would not join France against Germany.

13. Why? Dreikaiserbund 1881 ● It bound Austria-Hungary and Russia in an agreement. ● Bismarck would now not have to choose which of the two nations to support. ● Try to be one of three, so long as the world is governed by an unstable equilibrium of five great powers

14. The Triple Alliance ● Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy. ● Negotiations began in 1881 and the agreement finalised in 1882. ● Italy were a mutual enemy of ● France, although not ● a “great” power.

15. Bismarck runs into problems ● Bismarck's alliances began to contradict one another. ● 1883 Austria-Hungary and Germany promise to efend Rumania and Rumania. BUT this clashes with agreement with Russia. ● The Triple Alliance assumes a war with Russia, yet the League of Three Emperors is based on Austria-Hungary and Russia co-operation!

16. The Balkans (again!) 1885 ● Bulgaria did not want to be under Russian influence. ● They wanted to form an alliance with Eastern Rumelia. ● Britain and Austria-Hungary support Bulgaria. ● Russia kidnap the Bulgarian prince! He is forced to abdicate. ● Bismarck is now forced to choose sides. ● He backs up Austria-Hungary and the League of Three Emperors ends (again!).

17. Meditteranean Agreements 1887 ● Italy, Britain and Austria-Hungary. ● Mutual support against a fourth power. ● The agreement was altered and the focus was against Russia. ● Bismarck: relief that the burden of opposing Russia was now a shared concern.

18. The Reinsurance Treaty 1887 ● Bismarck still wished to win back Russian support (why?) ● This Treaty had to be worded to fit around all of his other agreements. ● Neutrality if either country was attacked by a third power. ● BUT.....this agreement did not hold if Germany attacked France or Russia attacked Austria-Hungary. (How does this cause problems with the Dual Alliance?). ● In 1888 published the terms of the Dual Alliance (why?)

19. Bismarck's Europe by 1890 ● Russia had not formed an agreement with France. ● Period of peace. ● In 1888 Kaiser William II became ruler of Germany. ● Bismarck resigned in 1890 due to clashes with the new Kaiser. ● Bismarck was credited with keeping peace in Europe for two decades.