1871 – German Empire – Aims – Bismarck’s “alliance system” – the Dreikaiserbund – Crisis:“War in sight crisis” & “Eastern Crisis” – Dual Alliance – Three Emperors League – Triple Alliance – "Bulgarian Crisis" - Reinsurance Treaty

• 1871 German Empire founded (at Versailles)
• 1873 Start of Bismarck’s “alliance system” – the Dreikaiserbund
• 1875 “War in sight” crisis
• 1878 Eastern Crisis
• 1879 Dual Alliance
• 1881 Three Emperors League
• 1882 Triple Alliance
• 1886 Bulgarian Crisis
• 1887 Reinsurance Treaty

• Neutralize any forces which might disrupt the internal harmony of the new state or upset the international balance of power
• Prevent the relation between Austria and Russia to become too close or too strained
• Keep France isolated. Bismarck was aware of the anger and strong ideas of revenge after France had lost the Franco-Prussian War 1870-71.

The Dreikaiserbund (1873) (Germany, Austria-Hungary and Russia)

A series of bilateral military agreements promising aid to any party attacked by a fourth power.

• To form a union of “conservative ideals” against disruptive forces (such as nationalism and socialism). This was also a monarchical unity against republican France. Bismarck feared the demands of revenge from the French republicans but at the same time he did not want any other government that could make France more respectable…
• To isolate France and hinder the country from the possibility to get an ally among the bigger states (Erich Eyck)
• To prevent a conflict between Russia and Austria-Hungary in the “Eastern Question” (A.J.P. Taylor)

“War in sight crisis” (1875) (Crisis between Germany and France)

Background: Bismarck feared the strong royalist supporting France during the mid 1870’s. If France became a monarchy once more she could become more respected by other nations in Europe. This could lead to new alliances – even between France and Russia and/or France and Austria-Hungary. Bismarck had also seen signs of French military preparations…
To embarrass (and hopefully humiliate) France Bismarck published (anonymously) an article in the Berliner Post with the title “Is war in sight?”. This article threatened with a preventative war. Bismarck calculated with French discreditation, anger and maybe even threats…
France instead appealed to the other main European powers to prevent Germany from attacking her. Now it looked like Bismarck had planned the whole situation – result = German (and Bismarck) embarrassment!

Change of Peace Treaty in Berlin 1878 made Russia dissatisfied and upset…

Background: Between 1875-1877 the Ottoman Sultan faced several insurrections in the Balkans (Bosnia, Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro…). The Ottoman response to these insurrections made Russia step in as the “protector of the Balkan Christians”. This made Austria-Hungary worried about Russian initiatives in Balkans. The relationship between Austria-Hungary and Russia deteriorated… Russia declared war against the Ottoman Empire and defeated them.
Treaty of San Stefano (March 3rd 1878): The European part of the Ottoman Empire was substantially reduced in size. Some Russian “client states” were created in Bulgaria, Rumania, Serbia and Montenegro. The new much stronger Russian influence in the Balkans did not only upset Austria-Hungary but also Great Britain and France. They demanded a revision of the San Stefano treaty!
Congress of Berlin (1878): The “big powers” of Europe (Great Britain, France, Austria-Hungary…) reduced the Russian influence in the Balkans. As this meeting Chairman Bismarck managed to preserve peace in Europe. He also managed to increase the international status of Germany (and Berlin as a European Conference Centre) but Russia was bitter!!! Tsar Alexander II commented that this meeting had been a “European coalition against Russia under the leadership of Bismarck”. According to historian Erich Eyck “the Berlin Congress marked the beginning of the end of the Bismarckian system”…
The introduction of German protective tariffs in 1879 (against US and Russian agriculture products) did not make the relation between Germany and Russia better.
Austria-Hungary also installed themselves as the formal protector of the Bosnia-Herzegovina region in the Ottoman Empire (against the local populations will). The Dreikaiserbund was falling apart. Germany now had to work up a new foreign policy based on the results of these crises… She choose to befriend Austria-Hungary!

1. Bismarck wanted to avoid diplomatic isolation
2. Bismarck thought that this alliance might frighten Russia back into another alliance with Germany (with better terms for Germany)…
3. This was the more popular choice
4. Bismarck referred to “kinship, history, language…”
   …but Wilhelm I was critic to the “betrayal” of Russia. Austria greeted the alliance!

An attempt to regain some cooperation between the three countries – and to hinder Russia from seeking a new ally - France

This follow up on the Dreikaiserbund laid less stress on ideological unity and concentrated more on specific territorial compromises between Austria-Hungary and Russia. It was a much weaker alliance than the previous one. The alliance was renewed in 1884…

Bismarck had two main reasons for this alliance:

1. He wanted to end the longstanding enmity between Italy and Austria-Hungary (since the war 1866). This would make the “southern flank” safe.
2. He also wanted to deprive France of a potential ally

Germany got deeper involved in areas which was not in her interest sphere due to Austria-Hungary’s involvement in the south-east. In 1881 Austria-Hungary made an alliance with Serbia and the year after she made an alliance with Rumania.
In 1886 a new crisis threatened the Bismarckian alliance system…

“Bulgarian Crisis” (1886) (Crisis between Russia and Austria-Hungary)

Background: Ever since the Congress of Berlin (1878) Russia had continued to intervene in Bulgarian internal affairs. In 1886 the king - Alexander of Battenberg became to “independent-minded” in Russia's opinion so they saw to it that he was deposed. This made a clash between Russia and Austria-Hungary more possible. Bismarck therefore made a series of controversial measures to neutralize the conflict and to make sure Germany could avoid direct involvement…

The Reinsurance Treaty (1887) (Germany and Russia)

This was a bilateral completely secret treaty between Germany and Russia in case of war between Russia and Austria-Hungary…

Background: The Bulgarian Crisis 1886

Bismarck promised:

1. Both powers promised to remain neutral in case of a dispute with a third party (this did not include a German attack on France or a Russian attack on Austria-Hungary)
2. Bismarck and Germany promised Russia full diplomatic support over Bulgaria

1. France remained diplomatically isolated
2. He formed a solid bloc of German influenced territory in central Europe
3. He kept the diplomatic relations with Russia open

1. Bismarck had taken no measures to train a successor in his complex diplomatic system of checks and balance
2. He had hindered any kind of initiative or independent thoughts in the foreign office and diplomatic staff – he was a “dictator” and very inflexible
3. Bismarck was accused of destroying the continuity of German foreign policy
4. Bismarck had neglected the possibility of an Anglo-German Treaty in 1879. When he tried to offer a military alliance with Britain in 1889 he was met with a cold reception…
5. Germany’s restrained diplomacy left several nationalists, army leaders dissatisfied. They wanted a more aggressive policy…
6. Powerful economic pressure groups also wanted more involvement in the overseas activities – to provide more raw materials and find markets for manufactured goods...

German New Guinea (Deusch Neuguinea – Kaiser Wilhelmsland + Bismarck Archipelago)
German Solomon Islands or Northern Solomon Islands (Salomonen or Nördliche Salomon Inseln - Bougainville)
German Marshall Islands (Marshallinseln – Nauru)