Alliance Systems
Pre-WWI
First Round of Alliances
Designed to stop Revolutionaries
• First Series:
• Congress of Vienna
–Concert System
• Holy Alliance
–Russia, Austria, Prussia
Second Series
• Revival of Metternichian system
• Stop Revolutionaries
• Also made for self-interest
purposes (unification movements)
Second Round of
Alliances
1. Alliances for self-preservation
– Economics
– Military
2. Balance of Power
3. Imperialist interests
Fear and Desire
• Germany
– Fear Encirclement (France, A-H, & Russia)
– Baltic Sea Naval Bottleneck possibility
• Austria-Hungary
– Diversity problematic
– Backward Agriculturally
– Unresponsive Political System
• Russia
– Lack Warm Water Sea Port
– Control over Strait of Bosporus (Black Sea)
• Britain
– Protect Overseas Empire
– Feared growing naval power of others
(Germany mainly)
• France
– Rivalry with Germany
– Geographic isolation
• Three Emperors League (18731875)
–Germany, Austria, Russia
–Russia got conservative friends
–Consult over mutual issues
–Friendly neutrality
–Isolated France: German-AH
friendship
–Fell apart over Eastern Question
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1
Major Event
Post-Unification:
Russo-Turkish War
Eastern Question: Balkans
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Russia wants some
Austria wants some
Britain thwart Russia
France thwart Russia/Austria
Germany want to preserve Balance
of Power
Russo-Turkish War
Bosnia-Herzegovina revolted against Turks (1874)
Serbia & Montenegro join revolt (1876)
• Russia doesn’t directly intervene at first
(respect 3 Emperors league)
• Later asked Austria for neutrality if Russia
did intervene
• Austria did not answer at first
• Russia sends retired generals and $$$ to
help Serbs, Bosnians, Herz
• Conferences held to settle issue: no avail
• Turks warned to treat Christians better:
1876
• Russia (Alex II) pressured to intervene
• Austria finally approves Russian
intervention
– Austria get Bosnia-Herz
– Serbs freed: Greeks Montenegrins get land
– Constantinople free city
• Russia attacked: 1877
• Russia defeated Turks:
– Treaty of San Stefano written (Russia/Turk)
• Britain in Tough Spot
– Turks persecute Christians
– Yet: Britain needs to protect interests
• Feared Constantinople free (under Russian influence)
• Britain’s Suez Canal threatened
• Britain moved navy: threatened Russia
• Austria also threatened Russia
– Broke promise
– Ended 3 Emperor’s League
Treaty of San Stefano
• Russia get control over Turkish land
• Serbia free
• Bulgarian state created (Russian
influence)
• Denied Austria land promised to them
(Bosnia-Herz)
• Brit and A-H refused to recognize Treaty
• New ‘Treaty’ would be made
Congress of Berlin: 1878
• New ‘treaty’ to be made at Congress
of Berlin
• Many secret deals made prior to
Congress
–Brit/Russia: Russia lose Med sea port
and promise not to instigate anti-British
aggression
–Brit/Turkey make agreements
–Brit/Austrian agreements
• Bismarck offered to be ‘Honest Broker’ and host
the Congress
• Russian attempt for a Bulgarian satellite
thwarted
• Russian control of Constantinople thwarted
• Russia abandoned support of Serbian
nationalism
• A-H occupy Bosnia- Herz
• Britain got Cyprus
• French moved from Algeria to Tunis
• Serbia ‘independent’ (didn’t get Bosnia-Herz)
• Russia felt betrayed by Germany
& A-H
• Serbians unhappy – they got no
say in the meeting (interests
ignored)
• Some think Russian displeasure
drove Russia closer to France…
Dual Alliance 1879
• Germany & A-H tighten friendship
– A-H and Russia not happy with each
other
• Meant to last 5 years… it lasted until
1918
Three Emperor’s League (part 2)
• 1881 Russia, A-H, Germany re-sign
alliance
• Russia still sought ‘friends’ and saw
conservative powers most obvious choice
• Germany wanted to keep Russia & A-H
together
• Stipulations:
– If 1 go to war, other 2 remain neutral
– A-H keep rights over Bosnia-Herz
Triple Alliance 1882-1914
• Italy want empire – looked to
Tunis
• France moved faster and took
Tunis 1st
• Dual Alliance allowed Italy to join
as an anti-French move
1882-1885
• France Isolated
• Germany have deal with 3 of 5
powers (A-H, Russia, Italy)
• Britain Isolated itself from
Continental Affairs
Bulgarian Crisis 1885-1887
• Bulgaria lost a lot at Congress of Berlin
• Bulgaria waged war against Serbia &
won
• Russia threatened to invade Bulgaria
• Britain & A-H forced Russia to
diplomatic agreement (stopped Russia
from Balkan territorial acquisition)
• Germany supported A-H
• Ended 2nd Three Emperor’s League
Reinsurance Treaty 1887-1890
• Russia refuse another Three
Emperor’s League
• Signed Reinsurance Treaty
instead
• 3-year term
• If 1 war, other remain neutral
Dropping the Pilot
• Bismarck very influential with Alliances
• Successful:
– France isolated
– Germany allied with most powers
– England & Russia oppose each other
– Germany in the best position
• 1890, Kaiser forced Bismarck to resign
• Bismarck’s work started to unravel…
– Did not re-sign Reinsurance Treaty
Franco-Russian Alliance
• Germany trying to get Britain into treaty
– Based on heritage: ‘Anglo-Saxon’
– Britain hesitant
• Russia feeling threatened (no more
Reinsurance Treaty)
• Russia & France opposites
– Russian autocracy vs French Republicanism
• Alliances are not friendships!
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France loan Russia $$$
French naval fleet visit Russia
Russian fleet visit France
1894 Secret Convention:
– If Germany attack France, Russia would
help
– If Germany attacked Russia, France
would help
• France no longer isolated!
1894-1904
• Continental Armies relatively
equal
• Alliances ensured future
conflict would not be small!
Fashoda Crisis 1898
• British & French troops face off in Fashoda
(Sudan)
– Both want the colony)
• 6-weeks of talks
• France backed down
• France realized conflict with Britain not a
good idea
Boer War 1902
• Britain want South Africa
– Orange Free State & Transvaal
– Lots of gold!
• Britain controlled Cape of Good Hope
• Dutch Boers & “Afrikaners” had settled in
South Africa 18th century & rule Orange Free
State & Transvaal
• Brits encouraged an overthrow of
government (1895) – failed
• Britain sent 350,000 troops
• 65,000 Afrikaners held out
• 1902 Britain accepted conditional
surrender of Afrikaners
• British troubles in Boer conflict
showed they were not invulnerable!
Anglo-Japanese Alliance 1902
• Britain & Japan signed alliance to
thwart Russia Eastern expansion
• Britain saw it as a way to ensure its
colonial interests in the East
Entente Cordiale (Dual Entente) 1904
• Britain’s troubles in South Africa was an
‘eye-opener’
• Britain started seeing the need for friends
• Friendship, not alliance (technically)
– Colonial disputes settled
– Britain got Egypt
– France got Morocco
Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
• Russia & Japan went to war
• Britain kept out because of French
intervention
• Naval battle – Russia lost & Humiliated!
• Russian Eastern expansion halted
• Russian 1905 Revolution broke out over
this (and other Russian issues)
Moroccan Crisis 1905
• Germany declared support for Moroccan
independence from France
• International conference held
• No one supported Germany (saw
Germany as a bully)
• Pushed Britain even closer to France (and
Russia)
– Set the stage for the Dual Entente!
Triple Entente 1907
• Russia & Britain settled Mid-East
colonial disputes
– Persia (Afghanistan) to be divided down
the middle
– Russia get north, Britain south
• France, Britain, Russia now in
friendship
Europe Divided & the Powder Keg
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Triple Alliance versus triple Entente
Eastern expansion halted
Western expansion halted
Scramble for Africa slowing down
Major issue was the disintegration of
Ottoman Empire
• New scramble for territory lay in the
Balkans: POWDER KEG OF EUROPE!