1. Emergence of the Alliance System
Mr. Meester
AP European History

2. Loss of the Balance of Power
With the creation of Germany the Balance of Power created at the Congress of Vienna is upset.
Russia was weakened (Crimean War)
Austria was threaten by Nationalism
French power & prestige was damaged (Franco-Prussian)
Britain was threatened economically
Bismarck had achieved his goal of unification but still felt threatened by France
Wanted to prevent an alliance between them & either Russia or Austria

3. War in the Balkans Bismarck created the 3 Emperor’s League
Germany, Austria, & Russia
Soon collapsed due to the Russo-Turkish War 1877
The weakness of the Ottoman Empire resulted in the Slavs in the Balkans to revolt.
Russia entered the war to help the Slavic people
Began the Pan-Slavic movement
Austria worried about Russian influence on the Slavic people within its empire.

4. Congress of Berlin
Britain & Austria forced Russia to meet to review the provisions of the peace treaty
They met in Berlin under Bismarck
Reflects Germany’s growing importance & the fact that Germany wanted to keep the peace
Germany didn’t want any territory
Russia took a big hit
Bulgaria lost 2/3rds of its territory
Austria, Britain, & France gained territory to offset Russia’s additional territory
Germany gained nothing but Russian resentment

5. German Alliances
Due to Russia’s anger over the Berlin Congress Germany formed a secret alliance with Austria
The Dual Alliance promised to help each other in the event of a Russian attack
Would remain neutral in all other cases
Was purely a defensive agreement
Bismarck didn’t believe Czarist Russia would seek alliances with the democratic western nations
Was able to renew the 3 Emperors League

6. The Triple Alliance
Italy angered by France imperialist expansion in Tunisia sought to join the Dual Alliance
Germany was further isolating France
Was becoming more difficult to maintain the secret alliances
The 3 Emperor’s League lapsed
The Triple Alliance was maintained
A new king William II would cause Bismarck problems
He wished to expand & become the dominant nation in Europe
Bismarck held him in check & wanted a limited peaceful Germany

7. Europe after Bismarck
Soon after Bismarck’s retirement his alliance started to collapse
France & Russia formed an alliance
Britain had traditionally been against both the French & the Russians
Now however Britain viewed Germany under William II as a threat economically & militarily
Britain had also stayed out of the alliances
Refused Germany’s offer to join the Triple Alliance
Germany responded by blocking Britain’s imperialist policies in Africa
They also began to build a naval fleet to rival Britains

8. The Triple Entente
Due to German aggression Britain was forced to start seeking alliances
1904 they agreed to the Entente Cordiale
Not a military treaty but one that dealt with colonial disputes
Was the first British-French agreement
William II spoke in favor of Moroccan independence against France
Wanted to show France to be weak
Most other nations sided with the French
German expansion in the Middle East caused Russia and Britain to put aside their differences forming the Triple Entente