Causes of the Great War: Part I
Today’s Objective
- To understand the conditions and events that led to the outbreak of the Great
War
4
• The creation of a large, powerful German Empire in 1871 upset the balance of
power forged at the Congress of Vienna
→ Declaring Germany a “satisfied power,” Bismarck hoped to avoid
a new war that might undo his achievement
- Fearful of French resentment following its humiliation in the
Franco-Prussian War
…Bismarck sought to isolate France by preventing an
alliance between France and any other European
power
…especially Austria or Russia, which might threaten
Germany with a two-front war
→ Bismarck, therefore, set about the task
of creating favorable alliances for Germany:
- Three Emperor’s League (1873):
Germany, A-H, Russia
• After the Three Emperor’s League collapsed due to Austro-Russian rivalry
in the Balkans, Bismarck concluded a treaty with A-H
→ The Dual Alliance (1879), aimed against Russia, frightened Russia
into renewing the Three Emperor’s League
…and dispelled Bismarck’s fears of a Franco-Russian alliance
→ In 1882, Italy would join the alliance: The Triple Alliance
→ When Russian participation expired in 1887, the Reinsurance Treaty
was negotiated to maintain relations with Russia
• But in 1888, the ascension of Kaiser Wilhelm II to the German throne
destroyed Bismarck’s arrangements
→ Following Bismarck’s dismissal as chancellor in 1890, his system
of alliances collapsed
- The Reinsurance Treaty was allowed to expire in 1892
- In 1894, France and Russia signed a defensive alliance
against Germany
• Wilhelm’s desire for a navy and colonies like those possessed by Britain
…had, by 1900, transformed Germany into “the enemy” in British minds
→ Popular thrillers about imaginary wars portrayed the French as the
invader
…after the turn of the century, Germany became the enemy
→ By 1904, Britain concluded a series of agreements with France
known as the Entente Cordiale
…settled their colonial disputes and effectively ending centuries
of antagonism between the two nation-states
ESSENTIAL QUESTION
Why did Bismarck’s alliance system breakdown
following his dismissal?
TARGET QUESTIONS
• What does a “satisfied power” mean for Germany?
• Bismarck feared an alliance between…
• NA
• Why did Germany become an enemy to Britain?
DAILY ASSIGNMENT
Summarize the countries involved and the
motivations behind each alliance
Three Emperor’s
League
Dual Alliance
Red
Blue
1 ½ Inches
1 ½ Inches
The Triple Alliance
Red
1 ½ Inches
Entente Cordiale
Blue
1 ½ Inches