The road to war in Europe 1870 - 1914

1. The alliance system

2. International rivalry

The alliance system

Bismarck is the key hereFranco – Prussian war 1870 – 71Treaty of Frankfurt 1871French desire for revengeBismarck – get friends for Germany and

keep France isolated – create the alliance system

Bismarck’s system

Avoid a two front warKeep friendly with RussiaKeep friendly with Austria-HungaryBut the Balkans get in the way!

An impossible task?

DreiKaiserBund 1873War in the Balkans 1877 – Russia creates

« big Bulgaria »Bismarck calls Congress of BerlinRussia furious, Bismarck signed Dual

Alliance with Austria 1879

Second DreiKaiserBund

1879Renewed 1884Russia refused to renew it in 1887 –

Bulgarian crisisSo what can Bismarck do now?

Mediterranean Agreements and Reinsurance Treaty

First Mediterranean Agreement 1887 (keep France isolated)

Reinsurance Treaty with Russia 1887Second Mediterranean Agreement 1887

(really to protect Germany if France and Russia ever formed an alliance)

Creation of Triple Alliance

1879 Dual Alliance1882 Italy joined

Bismarck dismissed 1890

Reinsurance treaty not renewedAlliance sytem now divided Europe

Creation of Triple Entente

1892 French / Russian military agreementsDual Entente 1894Britain and France « entente cordiale »

1904 (no military clauses)Naval discussions1907 Britain / Russia Entente.

Europe now divided into two armed camps

Alliance system had a series of clauses which involved automatic and

immediate military action

International Rivalry

WeltpolitikAnglo German relations and naval arms

raceCrises in Morocco 1905 & 1911The July crisis 1914