Alliance Systems

Pre-WWI

First Round of Alliances

Designed to stop Revolutionaries

• First Series:

• Congress of Vienna–Concert System

• Holy Alliance–Russia, Austria, Prussia

Second Series

• Revival of Metternichian system

• Stop Revolutionaries

• Also made for self-interest purposes (unification movements)

Second Round of Alliances

1. Alliances for self-preservation– Economics

– Military

2. Balance of Power

3. Imperialist interests

Fear and Desire• Germany

– Fear Encirclement (France, A-H, & Russia)

– Baltic Sea Naval Bottleneck possibility

• Austria-Hungary– Diversity problematic– Backward Agriculturally– Unresponsive Political System

• Russia– Lack Warm Water Sea Port– Control over Strait of Bosporus (Black Sea)

• Britain– Protect Overseas Empire– Feared growing naval power of others

(Germany mainly)

• France– Rivalry with Germany– Geographic isolation

• Three Emperors League (1873-1875)

–Germany, Austria, Russia–Russia got conservative friends–Consult over mutual issues–Friendly neutrality–Isolated France: German-AH

friendship–Fell apart over Eastern Question

11stst Major Event Major Event

Post-Unification:Post-Unification:Russo-Turkish WarRusso-Turkish War

Eastern Question: BalkansEastern Question: Balkans

• Russia wants some

• Austria wants some

• Britain thwart Russia

• France thwart Russia/Austria

• Germany want to preserve Balance of Power

Russo-Turkish WarRusso-Turkish WarBosnia-Herzegovina revolted against Turks (1874)

Serbia & Montenegro join revolt (1876)

• Russia doesn’t directly intervene at first (respect 3 Emperors league)

• Later asked Austria for neutrality if Russia did intervene

• Austria did not answer at first

• Russia sends retired generals and $$$ to help Serbs, Bosnians, Herz

• Conferences held to settle issue: no avail

• Turks warned to treat Christians better: 1876

• Russia (Alex II) pressured to intervene

• Austria finally approves Russian intervention– Austria get Bosnia-Herz

– Serbs freed: Greeks Montenegrins get land

– Constantinople free city

• Russia attacked: 1877

• Russia defeated Turks:– Treaty of San Stefano written (Russia/Turk)

• Britain in Tough Spot– Turks persecute Christians– Yet: Britain needs to protect interests

• Feared Constantinople free (under Russian influence)• Britain’s Suez Canal threatened

• Britain moved navy: threatened Russia

• Austria also threatened Russia– Broke promise– Ended 3 Emperor’s League

Treaty of San Stefano• Russia get control over Turkish land

• Serbia free

• Bulgarian state created (Russian influence)

• Denied Austria land promised to them (Bosnia-Herz)

• Brit and A-H refused to recognize Treaty

• New ‘Treaty’ would be made

Congress of Berlin: 1878

• New ‘treaty’ to be made at Congress of Berlin

• Many secret deals made prior to Congress–Brit/Russia: Russia lose Med sea port

and promise not to instigate anti-British aggression

–Brit/Turkey make agreements–Brit/Austrian agreements

• Bismarck offered to be ‘Honest Broker’ and host the Congress

• Russian attempt for a Bulgarian satellite thwarted

• Russian control of Constantinople thwarted

• Russia abandoned support of Serbian nationalism

• A-H occupy Bosnia- Herz

• Britain got Cyprus

• French moved from Algeria to Tunis

• Serbia ‘independent’ (didn’t get Bosnia-Herz)

• Russia felt betrayed by Germany & A-H

• Serbians unhappy – they got no say in the meeting (interests ignored)

• Some think Russian displeasure drove Russia closer to France…

Dual Alliance 1879

• Germany & A-H tighten friendship– A-H and Russia not happy with each

other

• Meant to last 5 years… it lasted until 1918

Three Emperor’s League (part 2)

• 1881 Russia, A-H, Germany re-sign alliance

• Russia still sought ‘friends’ and saw conservative powers most obvious choice

• Germany wanted to keep Russia & A-H together

• Stipulations:– If 1 go to war, other 2 remain neutral– A-H keep rights over Bosnia-Herz

Triple Alliance 1882-1914

• Italy want empire – looked to Tunis

• France moved faster and took Tunis 1st

• Dual Alliance allowed Italy to join as an anti-French move

1882-1885

• France Isolated• Germany have deal with 3 of 5

powers (A-H, Russia, Italy)• Britain Isolated itself from

Continental Affairs

Bulgarian Crisis 1885-1887

• Bulgaria lost a lot at Congress of Berlin• Bulgaria waged war against Serbia & won• Russia threatened to invade Bulgaria• Britain & A-H forced Russia to diplomatic

agreement (stopped Russia from Balkan territorial acquisition)

• Germany supported A-H• Ended 2nd Three Emperor’s League

Reinsurance Treaty 1887-1890

• Russia refuse another Three Emperor’s League

• Signed Reinsurance Treaty instead

• 3-year term

• If 1 war, other remain neutral

Dropping the Pilot• Bismarck very influential with Alliances• Successful:

– France isolated– Germany allied with most powers– England & Russia oppose each other– Germany in the best position

• 1890, Kaiser forced Bismarck to resign• Bismarck’s work started to unravel…

– Did not re-sign Reinsurance Treaty

Franco-Russian Alliance

• Germany trying to get Britain into treaty– Based on heritage: ‘Anglo-Saxon’– Britain hesitant

• Russia feeling threatened (no more Reinsurance Treaty)

• Russia & France opposites– Russian autocracy vs French Republicanism

• Alliances are not friendships!

• France loan Russia $$$

• French naval fleet visit Russia

• Russian fleet visit France

• 1894 Secret Convention:– If Germany attack France, Russia would

help

– If Germany attacked Russia, France would help

• France no longer isolated!

1894-1904

• Continental Armies relatively equal

• Alliances ensured future conflict would not be small!

Fashoda Crisis 1898

• British & French troops face off in Fashoda (Sudan)– Both want the colony)

• 6-weeks of talks

• France backed down

• France realized conflict with Britain not a good idea

Boer War 1902

• Britain want South Africa– Orange Free State & Transvaal– Lots of gold!

• Britain controlled Cape of Good Hope

• Dutch Boers & “Afrikaners” had settled in South Africa 18th century & rule Orange Free State & Transvaal

• Brits encouraged an overthrow of government (1895) – failed

• Britain sent 350,000 troops

• 65,000 Afrikaners held out

• 1902 Britain accepted conditional surrender of Afrikaners

• British troubles in Boer conflict showed they were not invulnerable!

Anglo-Japanese Alliance 1902

• Britain & Japan signed alliance to thwart Russia Eastern expansion

• Britain saw it as a way to ensure its colonial interests in the East

Entente Cordiale (Dual Entente) 1904

• Britain’s troubles in South Africa was an ‘eye-opener’

• Britain started seeing the need for friends

• Friendship, not alliance (technically)– Colonial disputes settled– Britain got Egypt– France got Morocco

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905

• Russia & Japan went to war

• Britain kept out because of French intervention

• Naval battle – Russia lost & Humiliated!

• Russian Eastern expansion halted

• Russian 1905 Revolution broke out over this (and other Russian issues)

Moroccan Crisis 1905

• Germany declared support for Moroccan independence from France

• International conference held

• No one supported Germany (saw Germany as a bully)

• Pushed Britain even closer to France (and Russia)– Set the stage for the Dual Entente!

Triple Entente 1907

• Russia & Britain settled Mid-East colonial disputes– Persia (Afghanistan) to be divided down

the middle

– Russia get north, Britain south

• France, Britain, Russia now in friendship

Europe Divided & the Powder Keg

• Triple Alliance versus triple Entente

• Eastern expansion halted

• Western expansion halted

• Scramble for Africa slowing down

• Major issue was the disintegration of Ottoman Empire

• New scramble for territory lay in the Balkans: POWDER KEG OF EUROPE!