The German/Austro-Hungary
Alliance
BRIEF HISTORY
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IN 1877-78 AUSTRIA HUNGARY TOOK ARMS AGAINST RUSSIA AND THE BALKANS
AT THE CONGRESS OF BERLIN, RUSSIA WAS FORCED TO SIGN THE TRATY OF BERLIN
WHICH SPLIT BULGARIA INTO THREE PARTS AND PUT BOSNIA AND HERZEGONAIA UNDER
AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN MILITARY CONTROL
RUSSIA FEL HUMILIATED AND TURNED AGAINST BLISMARK WHO HEADED THE CONGRESS
GERMANY CHOSE TO SIDE WITH AUSTRIA FOR THREE REASONS
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THEY PREFERRED A WEAKER ALLY THAT THEY COULD CONTROL
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IT WOULD OPEN THE DANUBE VALLEY TO GERMANY
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AUSTRIA HAD RACIAL TIES WITH GERMANY
THIS BECAME KNOWN AS THE DUAL ALLIANCE
TERMS OF THE ALLIANCE
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ON OCTOBER 7 1879, OTTO VON BISMARK MADE THE DUAL ALLIANCE
THE TERMS OF THE ALLIANCE WERE ASW FOLLOWS
1. EACH WOULD SUPPORT THE OTHER SHOULD RUSSIA OR ONE OF HER ALIIES ATTACK
EITHER OF THEM
2. EACH WOULD AGREE TO REMAIN NEUTRAL IF A POWER OTHER THAN RUSSIA
ATTACKED ONE OF THEM
THE ALLIANCE WAS RENEWED ON 5 YEAR INTERVALS
TERMS OF THE TRIPLE ALLIANCE
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ON MAY 20 1882 THEY WERE JOINED BY THE KINGDOM OF ITALY TO FORM THE TRIPLE
ALLICE
1.
IF ITALY OR GERMANY WAS ATTACKED BY FRANCE, EACH WOULD AID EACH OTHER
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IF AUSTRIA-HUNGARY WAS ATTACKED BY RUSSIA, ITALY WOULD REMAIN NEUTRAL
3.
IF ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE ALLIANCE WAS ATTACKED BY TWO OR MORE OTHER
COUNTRIES, THE OTHER MEMBERS WERE TO COME TO THEIR AID
4.
BOTH AUSTRIA AND GERMANY AGREED THAT IN NO CASE WOULD THE TREATY
OPERATE AGAINST BRITAIN
BEGINNING OF THE WAR
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ALLIANCES WERE MADE IN SECRET, SO THEY PRODUCED A LOT OF DISTRUST AND
SUSPICION AMONG THE EUROPEAN POWERS
BEFORE 1910, THE ALLIANCES WERE ONLY FOR DEFENSE, BUT MANY WERE SO ALTERED
THAT THEY BECAME AGGRESSIVE ALLIANCES
JUNE 28, 1914, BOSNIAN, GAVRILO PRINCIP ASSASINATED ARCDUKE FRANZ FERDINARD OF
AUSTRIA
A PERIOD OF DIPLOMATIC MANOEUVERING CALLED THE JULY CRISIS BEGAN BETWEEN
ASUTRIA-HUNGARY, GERMANY, RUSSIA, FRANCE AND G.BRITAIN
JULY 28, 1914, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY DECLARED WAR ON SERBIA
THE NEXT DAY, RUSSIA ORDERED A MOBILIZATION
THE GERMANS BEGAN MOBILIZING TROOPS ON JULY 30, AND WAS MIRRORED BY THE
FRENCH
ON AUGUST 1, GERMANY DECLARED WAR ON RUSSIA
3 DAYS LATER THE U.K. DECLARED WAR ON GERMANY, THUS BEGINNING THE FIRST
WORLD WAR
MILITARY LEADERS
 AUSTRIA HUNGARY
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FRANZ JOSEPH I-EMPEROR OF AUSTRIA-HUNGARY
KARL I-EMPEROR OF AUSTRIA HUNGARY
CONRAD VON HOTZENDORF-CHIEF OF AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN GENERAL STAFF
ARTHUR VON STRAUSSENBURG-CHIEF OF AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN GENERAL STAFF
ANTON HAUS-COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN NAVY
MAXIMILIAN NJEGOVAN-COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN NAVY
 GERMAN EMPIRE
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WILHELM II-GERMAN EMPEROR
ERICH VON FALKENHAYN-CHIEF OF THE GERMAN GENERAL STAFF
PAUL VON HINDENBURG-CHIEF OF THE GERMAN GENERAL STAFF
REINHARD SCHEER-COMMANDER OF THE IMPERIAL HIGH SEAS FLEET
ERICH LUDENDORFF-DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF OF THE GERMAN ARMY
OTTO LIMAN VON SANDERS-GERMAN ARMY ADVISOR TO THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE
PAUL ERICH VON LETTOW-VORBECK-COMMENDER OF EAST AFRICA CAMPAIGN
HERMANN VON FRANCOIS-GERMAN ARMY GENERAL
Statistics
German
Empire
AustriaHungary
Empire
Battle
Deaths
Wounded
Prisoners/
Missing
Casualties
1 808 546
5 247 143
1 520 800
7 208 489
922 500
3 620 000
2 200 000
6 742 500
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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Poon, H. (2007). Alliance System/System of Alliances. Retrieved September 19, 2010, from The
Corner: http://www.thecorner.org/hist/wwi/alliance.htm#triple_alliance
Duffy, M. (2010, May 22). Primary Documents-Triple Alliance, 20 May 1882. Retrieved September
20, 2010, from firstworldwar.com: http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/triplealliance.htm