ALLIANCES

1890-1914

• International Relations Before World War One
• The development of Great Power Rivalries;
• 1890-1914=European relations dominated by conflict and tension
• Kaiser Wilhelm 2 sought to make Germany a MAJOR military tension this challenged the other great powers particulary F,B,R.
• Alliances caused tensions
• Germany felt encircled-so developed a war plan to deal with the threats from its enemies
• Tensions were reaching boiling point in the Balkans
• Balkans-an area of south east Europe where major empires such as A-H & R were challenged by the rise of smaller nations SERBIA
• Assassination of the heir to the A-H throne(FRANZ FERDINAND) in 1914 brought A-H,R & SERBIA into conflict
• The alliance system ensured the other nations were brought into the war

'Great Powers' of Europe

• BRITAIN
• FRANCE
• GERMANY
• RUSSIA
• AUSTRIA-HUNGARY
• ITALY WAS DESPERATE TO BE CONSIDERED A Great Power
• Each country had its own characteristics-
• Britain=Europe's richest country-first industrial nation-World's largest navy-vast empire.
• France=lost Franco-Prussian war to Germany(1870-71)-France was forced into a humiliating position of signing the Treaty of Frankfurt and crowing Kasier Wilhelm 2 as emperor newly unified Germany at Versailles.Germany took Alsace Lorraine and 5,000 million francs in war reparations.France sought revenge on Germany above all else.
• Germany=newly-unified country following the Franco-Prussian War.Kaiser Wilhelm 2 adopted the foreign policy of WELTPOLITIK or WORLD POWER.Wilhelm believed this would bring social classes together SAMMLUNGSPOLITIK.
• Russia=Vast country with rich aristocracy and desperately poor peasantry who had only been released from serfdom(slavery) in the 1860s. Russia sought to industrialise but was a long way behind other European nations.It wanted greater influence in Europe and was concerned about Germany and A-H power as shown by the Treaty of Berlin.
• A-H=DUAL MONARCHY ruled over many different nationalities.The royal family(HABSBURG MONARCHY) were very nervous about the breakup of the Ottoman Turkish empire-because if that empire collapsed so might the Habsburg Empire.
• Italy=only fully unified in 1871 and suffered from a divide between industrailised North and rural South.There were also divided between the Catholic Church and the secular non-relgious government. The government wanted Italy to become a magor power in Europe.

Changing European Alignments pre-1914

• Why did the alliance system develop?
• France lost the Franco-Prussian War(1870-71) to Germany and were forced to pay 5 million francs in war reparations and cede Alsace-Lorraine to Germany. The French wanted REVENGE!!!!!!!
• Germany had 1 MASSIVE problem it was right IN THE MIDDLE.This made Germany vulnerable if it came to war because it would have to fight on all fronts against the countries that surrounded Germany.
• Encirlcement was solved in the 19th century by Germany's Chancellor Bismarck. He solved Germany's problem of being IN THE MIDDLE by keeping friends with RUSSIA and AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.The friendship between GERMANY,RUSSIA and AUSTRIA-HUNGARY was know as the DREIKAISERBUND.
• Germany's Chancellor Bismarck then allied with ITALY,AUTRUA-HUNGARY.
• GERMANY,ITALY and AUTRIA-HUNGARY formed the TRIPLE ALLIANCE 1882.
• Kaiser Wilhelm 2 became emperor he dumped the alliance with RUSSIA(DREIKAISERBUND=RUSSIA,GERMANY and AUSTRIA-HUNGARY).Kaiser Wilhelm kept the TRIPLE ALLIANCE between ITALY,GERMANY and AUSTRIA-HUNGARY 1882 but despite Wilhelm keeping the TRIPLE ALLIANCE(1882)G,I,A-H it failed to solve Germany's number one problem of encirclement:-(.
• SO... in 1892 Russia made an alliance with France.Although it was ONLY a DEFENSIVE alliance it was intact Germany's worst NIGTHMARE!!!!!!!Germnay has annoyed Russia when Wilhelm the Kaiser of Germany had scrapped the DREIKAISERBUND formed between RUSSIA,GERMANY and AUTRIA-HUNAGRY by Bismarck in the 19th century.
• in 1907 RUSSIA joined BRITAIN and FRANCE to make the TRIPLE ENTENTE.RUSSIA already had a DEFENSIVE alliance with france IN 1892.So by 1914(WW1)europe was divided into two massive superpower blocs.People thought this BALANCE OF POWER would keep the peace but it DID NOT!!!!!

KEY ALLIANCES OF 1890-1914

• 1879-THE DUAL ALLIANCE
• A formal military alliance between Germany and Austria-Hungary.
• Bulgarian Crisis
• Bulgaria formed part of the Balkans and wanted independence
• A-H didn't want Bulgaria to gain independence
• A-H feared that Russia would gain to much power in the Balkans
• A-H sought Germany's help/DREIKAISERBUND FAILED,isolating RUSSIA

1882

• TRIPLE ALLIANCE
• Formed between GERMANY,AUSTRIA-HUNAGRY and ITALY
• Italy joined because it was anger at France
• France had just colonized the North African country-Tunisia
• Tunisia is closer to Italy than France geographically
• Italy never a firm ally of the TRIPLE ALLIANCE
• Italy signed a secret alliance with France
• italy chose to join Britain over France in WW1

THE REINSURANCE TREATY

• Attempt by Germany's Chancellor BISMARCK to continue to ally with RUSSIA after the DREIKAISERBUND had broken down following the BULGARIAN CRISIS where BUGARIA wanted independence and A-H did not want BULGARIA to have independence because it would allow RUSSIA to have too much power in the area.A-H sought Germany's help and this caused the break down of the DREIKAISERBUND.
• This treaty was all about isolating FRANCE
• Germnay newspaper published the treaty
• News cause an outcry in GERMANY and AUSTRIA-HUNGARY
• Germany was meant to be helping A-H to keep Russia down in THE DUAL ALLIANCE 1879

TREATIES

• NOT BINDING
• COUNTRIES SUPPORTED ALLIANCES WHEN IT SUITED THEM BEST
• THE DUAL ALLIANCE WAS NOT SOLID
• GERMANY AND A-H DID NOT ALWAYS SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER
• GERMANY AND A-H DID WHAT THEY WANT
• COUNTRIES ONLY ACTED IF IT BENEFITED THEM PERSONALLY

1894

• THE DUAL ENTENTE
• FRANCE and RUSSIA
• WHY?=improved economic relations between FRANCE and RUSSIA