Emergence of the German Empire & the Alliance Systems (1873-1890)

Bismarck’s Leadership
War in the Balkans
- Bismarck’s first move was to establish 3 Emperor’s League (Germany, Austria, Russia) in 1873
- Collapsed over Austro-Russian rivalry in Balkans that arose from Russo-Turkish War in 1877
- Ottoman weakness encouraged Serbia & Montenegro to aid fellow Slavs Rebellion spread through Bulgaria & Russia interferes
- Reflected influence of Pan-Slavic movement, which sought to unite all Slavs under protection of Russia
- Russians hoped to control Constantinople & Dardanelles
- The Treaty of San Stefano of March 1878
- Slavic states in Balkans were freed from Ottoman Empire & Russia obtained territory & large monetary indemnity
- Austria feared Slavic victory & increased Russian influence in Balkans would threaten its own Balkan provinces
- Britain was alarmed by effect of Russian victory on Euro. Balance of power & threaten Britain’s control of Suez Canal
- A music-hall song that became popular gave the language a new word for super patriotism: jingoism
The Congress of Berlin
- Congress of Berlin met in 1878 under Bismarck
- Clear recognition of Germany’s new importance & that it wanted peace
- Bismarck wanted to avoid war btw Russia & Austria b/c he feared Germany would be drawn into it
- Hurt Russian ambitions, helped Austria-Hungary & Britain
- 3 Emperor’s League was dead
- Major problem was that Serbia & Montenegro resented Austrian occupation of Bosnia & Herzegovina, which was a threat to peace in Europe         
German Alliances w/ Russia & Austria
- Bismarck concluded a secret treaty w/ Austria in 1879, created Dual Alliance
- Provided that Germany & Austria would come to each other’s aid if Russia attacked either of them & if another country attacked one of them, the other would remain neutral
- Russia looked for alliances in the West
- By 1881, Bismarck renewed 3 Emperor’s League; 3 powers promised to maintain neutrality in case a 4th power attacked
- This agreement reduced the tension in the Balkans btw Austria & Russia
The Triple Alliance
- Italy asked to join the Dual Alliance so make France isolated & not a threat
- Forming the Triple Alliance
- The Reinsurance Treaty of 1887 in which Russia & Germany promised to remain neutral if either was attacked
- In 1888, William II came to the German throne who had an injury at birth at birth that left him w/ a withered left arm
- He compensated for this disability w/ vigorous exercise, a military bearing, & often embarrassingly bombastic rhetoric
- As long as Bismarck held power, Germany was secure & the great Euro powers remained at peace
- Bismarck understood & used the full range of diplomatic weapons: appeasement & deterrence, threats & promises, secrecy & openness
Forging the Triple Entente (1890-1907)
Franco-Russian Alliance
- Bismarck’s successor, General Leo von Caprivi, refused to renew the Reinsurance Treaty b/c he wished to draw Germany closer to Britain
- Political isolation & the need for foreign capital drove the Russians toward France
- In 1894, France & Russia signed a defensive alliance against Germany
Britain & Germany
- Germany had become an enemy of Britain’s b/c of the economic rivalry btw the two which Germany challenged & overtook British production in materials & markets
- William & many Germans were eager for Germany to pursue a “world policy”
- Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz openly proclaimed Germany’s naval policy was aimed at Britain; his “risk” theory argued Germany’s navy fleet was strong enough to make Britain’s navy inferior to that of France & US
- Its main results were to waste German resources & to begin a great naval race w/ Britain
- The Boer War (1899-1902) saw Britain’s empire crushed a rebellion by S. African farmers, embarrassed them
- Btw 1898-1901, Joseph Chamberlain made several attempts to conclude an alliance w/ Germany; the Germans refused & held out for greater concessions
The Entente Cordiale
- Britain & Japan concluded an alliance w/ Japan to defend British interests in Far East against Russia; in 1904 Britain & France agreed to the Entente Cordiale, which settled all outstanding colonial differences between the two
- Britain gave France a free hand in Morocco in return for British control over Egypt
- The Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905) saw Britain allied w/ Japan & Russia’s defeat led to the Russian Revolution of 1905
The First Moroccan Crisis
- In 1905, Emperor William II landed at Tangier & made a speech in favor of Moroccan independence, asserting Germany’s right to participate in Morocco’s destiny
- Germany was testing Britain &France’s alliance
- Austria & Germany vs. Spain, US, France & Britain
- France & Britain became closer allies
British Agreement with Russia
- Britain’s fear of Germany’s growing naval power, its concern over German ambitions in the Near East & its closer relations w/ France made it desirable to become more friendly w/ France’s ally, Russia
- In 1907, Britain concluded an agreement w/ Russia much like the Entente Cordiale; it settled Russo-British quarrels in Central Asia
- The Triple Entente was ranged against the Triple Alliance
- Bismarck had built his alliance system to maintain peace, but the new alliance increased the risk of war & made the Balkans a likely spot for it to break out