The road to war in Europe 1870 - 1914

1
The road to war in Europe 1870 - 1914

1. The alliance system
2. International rivalry

2
The alliance system

• Bismarck is the key here
• Franco Prussian war 1870 71
• Treaty of Frankfurt 1871
• French desire for revenge
• Bismarck get friends for Germany and keep
  France isolated create the alliance system

3
Bismarcks system

• Avoid a two front war
• Keep friendly with Russia
• Keep friendly with Austria-Hungary
• But the Balkans get in the way!

4
An impossible task?

• DreiKaiserBund 1873
• War in the Balkans 1877 Russia creates  big
  Bulgaria 
• Bismarck calls Congress of Berlin
• Russia furious, Bismarck signed Dual Alliance
  with Austria 1879

5
Second DreiKaiserBund

• 1879
• Renewed 1884
• Russia refused to renew it in 1887 Bulgarian
  crisis
• So what can Bismarck do now?

6
Mediterranean Agreements and Reinsurance Treaty

• First Mediterranean Agreement 1887 (keep France
  isolated)
• Reinsurance Treaty with Russia 1887
• Second Mediterranean Agreement 1887 (really to
  protect Germany if France and Russia ever formed
  an alliance)

7
Creation of Triple Alliance

• 1879 Dual Alliance
• 1882 Italy joined

8
Bismarck dismissed 1890

• Reinsurance treaty not renewed
• Alliance sytem now divided Europe

9
Creation of Triple Entente

• 1892 French / Russian military agreements
• Dual Entente 1894
• Britain and France  entente cordiale  1904 (no
  military clauses)
• Naval discussions
• 1907 Britain / Russia Entente.

10
Europe now divided into two armed camps

• Alliance system had a series of clauses which
  involved automatic and immediate military action

11
International Rivalry

• Weltpolitik
• Anglo German relations and naval arms race
• Crises in Morocco 1905 1911
• The July crisis 1914