RealpolitikTurns on Itself
Ali Dalton, Madeline Townsley, Becky Ferber
Unification of Germany
Realpolitik
No More Shifting Alliances No more Shared Values
End of Realpolitik=War
REALPOLITIKRelies On-a)Shifting Alliancesb)Shared Valuesc)Both
i. Metternich system
“For the practice of Realpolitik avoids armaments races and war only if the major
players of an international system are free to adjust their relations in accordance with
changing circumstances or are restrained by a system of shared values, or both.”
-Kissinger
The policies put in place in Europe after the chaos of 1848 in order to insure peace
across the continent
Concert of Europe
• Russia soon transformed itself into a huge threat to the Balance of Power, eliminating all chances for successful alliances to be formed•Germany faced the constant threat of hostile, encircling nations, forcing Germany to remain on the permanent defense against a coalition amongst the periphery. • Germany tried desperately to preserve the Austro-Hungarian empire, its only dependable ally• A Problem presented itself however in Bismark’s desire to not challenge Russia, a major threat to the Austro Hungarian Empire
Balkan Nationalism ↑↑
Common Sense
Unification of Germany
German Power ++
B.O.P!
END OF SHIFTING ALLIANCES
• Fear and resentment lead to France’s becoming an enemy of Germany
• Russia has hostility towards Austria-Hungary, which is an ally of Germany. It will gladly ally with France to oppose Germany, and therefore its enemy of Austria-Hungary.
• Britain’s policy of “splendid isolation”
• Britain does not wish to intervene in European issues unless the BOP is directly under attack
• Britain does not recognize Germany’s unification as a threat to the BOP until it is too late
• Britain is to passive to form alliances
Germany…what
about it?!
• Germany forms a permanent alliance with Austria-Hungary in 1879
• This alliance is both a defensive measure against other competing European countries as well as a method of protecting Bismarck’s German policies
NO MORE SHARED VALUES• Germany needs an alliance with both
Austria and Russia for peace– kept it earlier with a sense of shared
conservative values- a fear of nationalism and revolutionary republicanism.
• Alliance won’t work because:• Austria: Germany unifies and pushes out
Austria whose only place is to expand into the Russian Balkans which heightens conflict between Austria and Russia.
• Russia: German unification causes fear and insecurity in Russia and they start expanding. They grow powerful and evoke Russian nationalism to help them grow larger.– Russia no longer fears nationalism and is
powerful enough to think they can deal with revolutions on their own.
END OF REALPOLITIK• Bismarck can no longer
avoid war by shifting alliances and having shared values.
• Confrontation between Germany and other powers becomes inevitable.
• The First World War breaks out; without an alliance between Germany, Russia, and Austria, Great Britain and France are able to ally against Germany.