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International Relations

• Alliances before WW1-1914
• By 1914 Europe was divided into two massive superpower blocs.
• People believed that this BALANCE OF POWER would prevent a war from breaking out.
• People thought the alliance/division would keep the peace.
• WW1=1914

Why did the alliance system develop?

• FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR
• HUMILIATING postion FRANCE was forced into
• France lost the Franco-Prussian War to Germany:-( 1870-1871*
• France we forced to sign the TREATY OF FRANKFURT
• GERMANY took ALSACE-LORRAINE
• GERMANY took 5million francs in war reparations
• FRANCE sought revenge on GERMANY above all else!!!!!!!!
• REVENGE!!!!!!!!!!!

GERMANY'S BIG PROBLEM

• GERMANY was encircled
• GERMANY was IN THE MIDDLE
• GERMANY VULNERABLE(WAR)
• This is a huge reason to why the alliance system developed because of the position of GERMANY geographically.
• 19th century, GERMANY'S CHANCELLOR BISMARCK tried to solve ENCIRCLEMENT by keeping friends with RUSSIA and AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.
• BISMARCK/RUSSIA/A-H=DREIKAISERBUND
• BISMARCK allied with ITALY and A-H
• TRIPLE ALLIANCE 1882
• DREIKAISERBUND+TRIPLE ALLIANCE=KEPT GERMANY SAFE!!!!
• All under the hands of BISMARCK

GERMANY...

• When Kaiser WILHELM become EMPEROR, he dumped the RUSSIAN ALLIANCE. Wilhelm kept the TRIPLE ALLIANCE(G/I/A-H)
• KAISER WILHELM DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF ENCIRCLEMENT
• RUSSIA alliance with FRANCE which was Germany's worst nightmare. The alliance was only a DEFENSIVE ALLIANCE but it still was Germany's worst nightmare.
• Russia

RUSSIA...

• RUSSIA was allied to SERBIA,ROMANIA and BULGARIA along with their DEFENSIVE alliance with FRANCE.
• RUSSIA ENSURED when trouble in the BALKANS ERUPTED in 1914 other nation's found their alliances dragged them into war.

KEY ALLIANCES...

• 1879
• DUAL ALLIANCE
• FORMAL A MILITARY ALLIANCE
• FORMED BETWEEN GERMANY and A-H
• WHY DID THE DUAL ALLIANCE COME ABOUT?
• 1876-1878 BULGARIAN CRISIS
• BULGARIA formed part of the BALKANS and they wanted independence
• A-H did NOT want this
• A-H feared RUSSIA would gain too much influence in the BALKANS
• A-H turned to Germany for help(DUAL ALLIANCE)the result.
• DUAL ALLIANCE CAUSED THE DREIKAISERBUND TO BREAKDOWN.

1882 TRIPLE ALLIANCE

• FORMED BETWEEN GERMANY,ITALY and AUSTRIA-HUNGARY

The REINSURANCE TREATY

• BISMARCK'S attempt to keep an ally with RUSSIA after the DREIKAISERBUND.
• All about maintaining the diplomatic isolation of FRANCE
• TREATY was exposed by a GERMAN newspaper
• CAUSED outcry in GERMANY and A-H

ALLIANCES...

• ALLIANCES WERE NOT BINDING(NOT SOLID)
• COUNTRIES SUPPORTED THEIR ALLIANCE PARTNERS WHEN IT SUITED THEM!
• The DUAL ALLIANCE(GERMANY&A-H) was NOT solid

The DUAL ENTENTE

• RUSSIA AND FRANCE
• WHAT=if one of the countries in the TRIPLE ALLIANCE(G,I&A-H) attacked FRANCE or RUSSIA its ally would attack the aggressor in question.
• If one of the TRIPLE ALLIANCE countries(G,I or A-H) MOBILISED ITS ARMY FRANCE and RUSSIA would mobilise.
• THE DUAL ENTENTE(RUSSIA AND FRANCE) FORMED A CRUCIAL STEP TOWARDS THE FIRST WORLD WAR.
• THIS FRANCO-RUSSIAN ALLIANCE WAS AN ALLIANCE DIRECTED AGAINST ONE COUNTRY AND THAT WAS GERMANY:was not in the interest to solve conflict

1904 ENTENTE CORDIALE

• FRIENDLY AGREEMENT-BRITISH AND FRENCH
• DIVIDE NORTH AFRICA EQUALLY
• 1904 ENTENTE CORDIALE happened after conflict was narrowly avoided over the FASHODA CRISIS.
• BRITAIN would gain north east Africa principally EYGPT and FRANCE would gain north west Africa including MOROCCO,Algeria and Tunisia
• THE AFRICANS WERE NOT CONSULTED
• THE GERMANS WERE NOT CONSULTED
• THIS LED TO THE MOROCCAN CRISES OF 1905 AND 1911

1907 ANGLO RUSSIAN ENTENTE

• RUSSIA AGREED THAT BRITAIN COULD PLAY A DOMINANT ROLE IN PERSIA AND BRITAIN AGREED THAT RUSSIA COULD PLAY A DOMINANT ROLE IN AFGHANISTAN.
• RUSSIA AND BRITAIN HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN BICKERING WITH RUSSIA OVER LAND IN THE MIDDLE EAST