HIST2086
Bismarck: The Iron Chancellor
Bismarck’s foreign policy,
1871-9
Lecture 17
11 November 2010
5 Options for Bismarck
• Revitalising Three Emperors’ League: G + A + R
• Forging strong alliance + partnership with R
• Provide imperialist-colonialist compensations for F
+ R outside EU
• Making war with F to reach G’s hegemony in EU
• Balance between + with 5 big powers → Strategy
of alliances
3 Phases
• Phase 1: Three Emperors’ League + war
scare, 1871-75
• Phase 2: Balkan Crisis + Congress of Berlin
+ Dual Alliance, 1876-9
• Phase 3: Three-Emperors’ Alliance / Triple
Alliance + Colonial policy + Bulgarian
Crisis + Reinsurance Treaty, 1881-87
Three Emperors’ League, Oct 1873
• No revival of Holy Alliance of 1815
• No block formation of G, R, A
= More rivalries than common interests:
• Bismarck (G): To keep F in check
• Gorchakov (R): To keep G weak
• Andrássy (A): To keep G + R apart
War scare, 1875 (1)
• France’s strong efforts to re-militarize:
→ Bismarck’s offer to Russia for political
deal, 1875:
► G’s support of R’s Balkan ambitions
► R’s support of G’s France policy of isolation
→To outmanoeuvre pro-French R Gorchakov
→ To separate R from F
► Gorchakov: Unwilling to give up ‘French option’
= Rising pressure on Germany
War scare, 1875 (2)
Bismarck’s reaction, spring 1875:
• Threatened with preventive war to break-up
G’s ‘encirclement’ + launched ‘Is War in Sight?’
press article
• Sent calculated alarm signals to put pressure on
+ to intimidate F, R, A
• Predicted a ‘Catholic League’ vs. ‘Protestant
Germany’ to win support in G public
War scare, 1875 (3)
Reactions:
• F: No halt of militarization program
• R: No separation from but closer contacts
to F + de-facto guarantee for F
= Major defeat of Bismarck
= Irreparable break Bismarck ≠ Gorchakov
= Consolidation of R’s hegemony position in
Europe
War scare, 1875 (4)
Consequences for Bismarck: He had to …
• Accept political-territorial realities in Europe
• Recognize 1871 status quo as base of policies of R, A, F
• Relinquish unsuccessful tactic of terrorizing + hitting
isolated enemies
• Escape ‘encirclement’ not by intimidation + war but by
defence + alliance
• Look for alliance partners vs. R’s hegemony
Balkan Crisis, 1875-8 (1)
Revolt of Christian peasants in Bosnia-Herzegovina +
Bulgaria vs. OE rule:
• R: Strong Pan-Slavistic ambitions + wish to ally with
Serbia’s war vs. OE
• A: Strong opposition to R’s expansionism on
Balkan
• G: Strong fear to be forced to opt for R or A + to
break-up Three Emperors’ League
Balkan Crisis, 1875-8 (2)
Bismarck’s reactions:
• Provocative strategy: To test R’s readiness to
agree on political deal: Unsuccessful → R + A
consensus over R’s war on OE
• Compensation strategy: To compensate other
powers with parts of OE + to keep Three
Emperors’ League intact
• Honest-broker-strategy: To circumvent G’s alliance
decision for R or A
Congress of Berlin, Jun-Jul 1878
To revise San Stefano Treaty of Russia-OE: A’s
fears of R’s expansionism + GB’s military
support of A ► R’s agreement for conference
= R: Agreed to divide Great-Bulgaria into 3 parts
= OE: Promised domestic reforms
= GB: Supported A’s claim to occupy BosniaHerzegovina + guaranteed OE’s security in
exchange for island of Cyprus
Balkan Crisis, 1875-8 (4)
Results of Congress of Berlin:
→ R’s humiliating diplomatic defeat + long-lasting
anger about Bismarck + Germany
→ Definite end of Three Emperors’ League
→ Dual Alliance of G + A, 1879
= Bismarck’s image as ‘honest broker’ not correct due
to his own interest not to opt for either A or R
Dual Alliance G-A, Oct 1879 (1)
Bismarck’s reasons:
• R regarded as Slavophil + Francophile: No secure partner for
G
• Saw A as major partner to fight G’s encirclement
• Regarded as first step to renewed Three Emperors’ League
= To improve G’s position vs. R by making A a junior partner
= To pave way into more stable Three Emperors’ League
connected by mutual alliances
Dual Alliance, Oct 1879 (2)
• Committed G + A to resist R’s aggression
• To join war only after R’s attack on G or A
= Cornerstone + ‘landmark’ of G’s foreign policy,
1879-1918
= Unusual strong commitment during peace times
= Stimulated similar treaties until Europe’s pre-1914
division in alliances + counter-alliances