INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS UP
TO 1914
UNIT 8
INTRODUCTION
• In 1871, Germany defeats France ending the
Second French Empire of Napoleon III and
replacing France in the European hegemony
which had existed for about a century. With
this, and added to the technological and
economic growth by the Industrial Revolution,
Germany turns into a huge industrial and
financial power, and in 1890 it’s industries
overcomes Great Britain.
INTRODUCTION
• This economic expansion puts the German Reich
(Empire) in the possibility of competing with any
other European nation to gain the control of
maximum markets and thus the economic-politic
supremacy in the world. For the next 40 years,
Germany will become, not only in the continental
power in Europe, This economic expansion puts the
German Reich (Empire) in the possibility of
competing with any other European nation to gain
the control of maximum markets and thus the
economic-politic supremacy in the world. but also
the arbiter of international politics. At the same time,
all European nations with great power scare for
other nations invasion decide to improve militarily.
INTRODUCTION
• Otto Leopold Von Bismarck, who was then Prime
Minister of Prussia, is appointed by the German
Emperor Wilhelm (William) I as Chancellor of
Germany, and as such responsible to design a policy
that prevents the French retaliation. That is how
Bismarckian alliance systems are signed. These
systems were a set of diplomatic alliances and
treaties aimed to keep the power balance in Europe,
such as the advantage of Germany to the other
nations since 1871, and thus assure peace in Europe,
which would prevail up to 1914 as World War I
started. These systems are divided in three episodes.
BISMARKIAN ALLIANCE SYSTEMS
• The League of the Three Emperors system (18731878) On September 1872, three emperors got
together: German Kaiser Wilhelm I, Austrian
emperor Franz Joseph I, and Russian Tsar
Alexander II. The three share a same fear; they
worried about France retaliation and rise above
to turn their empires down. Thus the three
emperors signed a first political and military
treaty for a mutual alliance of defense from
France.
BISMARKIAN ALLIANCE SYSTEMS
• The Treaty of Berlin system (1878-1882) The
weakness of the first system was set off in 2
occasions. First, in 1875, Bismarck, worried for
France economic and military growth decides
to consult with the other 2 nations and finds
out that none of both would go to war with
France. Second, in 1878 during the Congress
of Berlin, Russia felt injustice and hate
towards Austria and decided to end with the
alliance set on 1872.
BISMARKIAN ALLIANCE SYSTEMS
• Thus Bismarck set up a new system, based on
three agreements: the Dual-alliance (1879)
among Austria and Germany, which guaranteed
mutual assistance in case of a Russian attack, the
Secret alliance (1881) among Austria, Germany
and Russia, a pact of neutrality in case of attack
of other countries and the Triple-alliance among
Austria, Germany and Italy, that assured
assistance in case that a forth nation attacked or
was attacked.
BISMARKIAN ALLIANCE SYSTEMS
• The third system (1887-1890) the Triple-alliance is
renewed and in 1887 the Mediterranean Agreements I
and II are signed by Germany, Britain, Austria and Italy,
to assure neutrality and military pacts against France
and secretly against Russia. On the other hand, Russia
was becoming aside year after year and turning more
to France, due to her hate towards Austria for the
supremacy of the Balkans territory. In 1887, Germany
signs an agreement with Russia to guarantee their
alliance called Reassurance Treaty. But by 1890, Russia
had set apart completely from the League of the Three
Emperors and signed an agreement with France in
1892 called the Defensive Alliance.
BISMARKIAN ALLIANCE RESULTS
• From 1894 to 1897, Britain signed constant
pacts with both German and Russia sides,
until 1897 with the Anglo-Russia Treaty, the
three nations of France, Russia and Britain
summed up political powers against German
arousal in the Balkans. Thus, in the late 1907
the Triple Entente is formed, later as the First
World War started this Alliance is turn to the
name of the Allies. Additional to this,
Japanese allied to Britain in 1902.
FACE TO FACE TO WW I
• However a big meal was being cooked as
Germany assured power with Austria and Italy.
Germany urged on Austria-Hungry Empire to take
advantage to invade Herzegovina and the Balkans
territories and then get allied with the Ottoman
Empire (Turkey, Greece and Persia). With this
political tension of a central power growing in
Europe the war pressure would suddenly
developed the starts of World War I in late
summer of 1914. This three empire alliance
would be known as the Central Power.