Alliances and WWI

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Alliances and the First World War Essential
Background - Fact 1
World War I was all about the place of Germany in
Europe
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Alliances and the First World War Essential
Background - Fact 2
France and Germany hated each other! When
Germany became united country in 1870-1, France
went to war to try to stop it but got WHOPPED!
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Alliances and the First World War Essential
Background Fact 2 (cont.)
France also lost Alsace-Lorraine in 1870-1. The
French never forgave the Germans. They wanted
REVENGE.
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Alliances and the First World War Germany in
the Middle
Germanys BIG problem was that it was IN THE
MIDDLE. That made it VULNERABLE if it came to
a war.
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Alliances and the First World War Three
Emperors League, 1881
In the 19th century, Germanys brilliant
Chancellor, Bismarck, solved this problem by
keeping friends with RUSSIA and
AUSTRIA-HUNGARY (the Dreikaiserbund).
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Alliances and the First World War Triple
Alliance, 1882
Then Bismarck allied with Italy and
Austria-Hungary (the TRIPLE ALLIANCE, 1882).
Together with his friendship with Russia, this
kept Germany safe.
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Alliances and the First World War Germany
encircled
But when Kaiser Wilhelm became Emperor, he dumped
the Russian alliance. He kept the Triple
Alliance, but this did NOT solve the problem of
Germanys encirclement.
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Alliances and the First World War
Franco-Russian Alliance, 1892
Instead, in 1892, Russia made an alliance with
FRANCE. Although it was only a DEFENSIVE
alliance, it was Germanys worst nightmare!
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Alliances and the First World War Webs of
Alliances
There were many more alliances.
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Alliances and the First World War
Anglo-Japanese Naval Agreement, 1902
A very important one was the 1902 Anglo-Japanese
naval alliance, which freed up Great Britain from
protecting its Empire in the far east
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Alliances and the First World War Entente
Cordiale, 1904
which allowed Britain to make the Entente
Cordiale (friendly relationship) with France in
1904.
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Alliances and the First World War Triple
Entente, 1907
In 1907 Russia joined Britain and France to make
the Triple Entente. So by 1914 Europe had
divided into two massive superpower blocs.
People thought this BALANCE OF POWER would
keep the peace.
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Alliances and the First World War The Balkans
But Russia was also allied to Serbia, Romania and
Bulgaria. When trouble erupted in the Balkans
in 1914, the nations found their alliances
dragged them into war
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Alliances and the First World War How the
Alliances caused war
like mountain climbers tied to the same
rope. (i.e. it is arguable that THE SYSTEM OF
ALLIANCES CAUSED WORLD WAR ONE.)