Triple Alliance and Triple Entente

2. Which countries were part of the Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente? In what year was each alliance formed?

Ricardo Roussel S.

The Alliance System of WWI

During much of the third quarter of the nineteenth century, European politics was dominated by the Minister-President of Prussia and Imperial German Chancellor, Otto von Bismarck. By a ruthless policy of alternating diplomacy and war, he had created the new German Empire in 1871. After this success, his main purpose was to safeguard his new creation. In doing this, he founded the alliance system.

The Triple Alliance

It all began with Bismarck trying to isolate the French, so they would not be able to form an alliance and consider a war to recover Alsace-Lorraine. The Germans were trying to prevent an alliance between France and Russia, which would require Germany to fight a war on two fronts. Bismarck wanted to ensure that in a Europe of five great powers, Germany would be in an alliance of three against two.

The Germans wanted to be in good terms with the Russians and Austro-Hungarians, but this proved to be difficult, since these powers had conflicting interests over the Balkans. Bismarck desperately tried to get the Russians and Austrians to agree, but it was not possible. Germany was forced to take sides, and decided to help Austria-Hungary because: Austria-Hungary was under German leadership, they would be more easy to dominate than Russia, and the economical benefits of having control of the Danube Basin.

In 879, the Dual Alliance was agreed between Germany and Austria-Hungary. By terms of this originally secret treaty, each state was to help the other against an attack by any other state than Russia.

On 20 May 1882, Italy joined the alliance and gave birth to the Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy). Although Italy was not a powerful state, their location would be strategically beneficial in the event of a European war: It would tie down divisions of French troops in the event of a war between France and Germany, it would release Austrian troops in the event of a war between Austria-Hungary and Russia.

Bismarck only intended the Triple Alliance to: strengthen Germany against France and strengthen Austria-Hungary against Russia.

The Triple Entente

The main fear of the French was of having to fight alone against Germany. Their natural ally against Germany was Russia. In 1891 Russia and France agreed to consult together on common action to be taken in the event of a threat to peace. A year later, the Russian and French general staffs drew up a draft convention for mutual military aid. The Dual Entente was agreed only by  the end of 1893 and i was only defensive against Germany. The Russians did not want to become involved with France in a war to recover Alsace-Lorraine. The French disliked Russian autocracy (absolute monarchy), and did not want to be involved in a war because of Russian ambitions in the Balkans.

It provided that in the event of an attack on France by Germany or by Italy supported by Germany, Russia would field 700,000-800,000 men to fight Germany; in the event of an attack on Russia by Germany or by Austria-Hungary supported by Germany, France would field 1,300,000 men to fight Germany. The alliance was bound to create among the Germans the sense of being ¨boxed in¨ and frustrated. This may have been a major factor in 1914 in the freedom Germany gave to Austria-Hungary to deal with the Assassination Crisis.

The Germans thought that Britain’s long term interests lay with Germany, and that i was only a matter of time before Britain joined the Triple Alliance. They felt that they could afford to wait to exact whatever price they chose when Britain decided to end its policy of ¨splendid isolation.¨ By 1898, Britain found itself under pressure and without allies. Initially, the British approached the Germans with a view to an alliance against Russia in Asia. The Germans wanted instead a strengthening of the Triple Alliance in Europe.

Later in 1902, the British and French began discussions to settle outstanding matter of difference between them. This led in 1904 to the Anglo-French Entente. This did not commit either party to help the other in the event of a European war, but by removing differences between them it made a war Britain and France unlikely: The french recognized British interest in Egypt, and the British recognized French interests in Morocco. The Kaiser decided to convince the French that the Anglo-French Entente was useless to them. He went to Morocco, ignoring French claims, and promised the Sultan his support if any power tried to take away his sovereignty. The effect of all this was to panic the French, who asked the British for military staff conferences or arrangements for a co-operation in the event of a war. Thus the effect the Kaiser’s actions was the opposite of what intended. The Anglo-French Entente was given: military character, and a defensive against Germany. The Kaiser wanted Britain to not intervene in a Franco-German war. The British, regarding this as a plot to spli the allies in the Anglo-French Entente, refused to agree.

The Balkan crisis of 1908 made the Russians more fearful of a war with the Triple Alliance. In 1899 the Sultan of Turkey had agreed to a German plan to build a railway from Berlin to Baghdad. The company would get mining rights in the areas it passed through. This threatened both British and Russian interests in the Middle East. In 907, the British and Russians concluded the Anglo-Russian Entente an agreement to settle matters of outstanding difference between them.

The French were allied with Russia and Britain, the Russians were allied with France and Britain, and the British were allied with France and Russia. Thus giving birth to the Triple Entente.

Results

By 1914 the Great Powers were divided into two rival alliances: The Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy; The Allies: France, Russia and Britain. The treaties which bound the Central Powers are called alliances, while those which bound the Allies are called ententes. Ententes are vaguer and less specific than alliances. Thus the arrangements which united the Allies were weaker, in their terms, than those which bound the Central Powers.