Understanding the ‘alliance system’ (if you can!)
It is important to remember right from the start, that these alliance were
complex and that they OFTEN overlapped one another.

Russia had been allied with Germany and
Austria-Hungry in ‘The League of the Three
Emperors’ which had been created in 1873 by
Tsar Alexander II (Russia), Emperor Franz
Joseph I (Austria-Hungry) and Kaiser Wilhelm
I (Germany).

Look at your map on page 108 of your text
book


Chancellor Bismarck wanted to use The alliance
(The League of Three Emperors) to isolate
France diplomatically. France had lost territories
to Germany in the 1870-71 Franco-Prussian war
and Bismarck was concerned that France would
try and regain these areas (Alsace and part of
Lorraine).
The League of Three Emperors was not renewed
after 1885 (despite Russia’s attempts to have
Germany agree to a renewal) because there was
growing tensions between Russia and AustriaHungry.
KAISER WILHELM I
CHANCELLOR , OTTO VON
BISBARCK

In 1887, Bismarck signed a secret treaty with
Russia called the ‘Reassurance Treaty’. In this,
both parties agreed to stay neutral toward each
other should war break out. Despite having this
secret treaty with Germany, Russia was
concerned that it was becoming politically
isolated, and so, in 1892 they entered a treaty
with France called the ‘Franco-Russian Alliance’.
Two year prior to this in 1890 When the new
German Kaiser, Kaiser Wilhelm II, had came to
power , he stood Bismarck down and let the
‘Reassurance Treaty’ lapse.

The ‘Duel Alliance, also called the ‘Franco-Russian
Alliance, was a political and military pact that
developed between France and Russia. While each
side had their own reasons for wanting this pact, a
central theme was to join together against Germany.
Germany assumed that the ideological differences
and lack of common ground (France was now a
republic and Russia had absolute monarchy, were the
Tsar ruled completely, absolutely with no power being
given to anyone else), would keep France and Russia
apart and so, Germany allowed the ‘Reassurance
Treaty ‘ to lapse.

Russia, Germany and Austria-Hungry had been
on the one side but this broke down in 1885.
Germany and Russia had created separate and
secret pacts but they didn’t keep them going.
Germany thought they didn’t need to worry
about Russia and France getting together
because they were SO different but Russia had
decide to join up with France because they
recognised that Germany was a threat. Italy,
Germany and Austria-Hungry had, in 1882,
created their own little group, called ‘The Triple
alliance’.
Like Germany, Italy had been formed from a
collection of former states. At first, its main concerns
were to get its government established. In 1882 Italy
joined the German, Austrian-Hungarian alliance to
form the Triple Alliance, partly in anger at the French
seizure of Tunisia in 1881, which many Italians had
seen as a potential colony, partly to guarantee herself
support in case of foreign aggression: the main
alliance compelled any signatory country to support
the other parties if two other countries attacked.
 However, Italian public opinion remained
unenthusiastic about their country's alignment with
Austria–Hungary.


In the years before World War I many
distinguished military analysts predicted that
Italy would change sides. This prediction was
strengthened by Italy′s invasion of Tripoli,
bringing it into conflict with the Germanbacked Ottoman Empire. There is some
evidence that Germany and Austria–Hungary
did not entirely trust their ally.

Italy would not continue to become allied with
the ‘Central Powers’ as they came to be known.
Italy was thought to have an agreement with
Great Britain, Britain needed access to the
Mediterranean, so that she could access
her African and Indian colonies easily. Because
Italy is surrounded by the Mediterranean, it
could not afford to fall out with Britain. This is
thought by many leading historians to be
another reason that Italy changed sides.