Bismarckian System & “Sick Man of Europe” Apparently Biz Knew What He Was Doing After All.
Post on 19-Jan-2016
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Bismarckian System & “Sick Man of Europe”
Apparently Biz Knew What He Was Doing After All
Bismarckian System
• Unified Germany upset Metternich’s system (balance of power)
• Bismarck feared French retaliation (as a result of the Franco-Prussian War—Alsace-Lorraine)
• 1873: Bismarck created the Three Emperors League (A-H, Russia, & Germany)
Bismarckian System-Problem in the Balkans
• Both Russia and Austria wanted –Russia: Balkans provided shortest land route to Constantinople and the Straits
–Austria: area was fertile ground for expansion
Bismarckian System-Problem in the Balkans
• 1876: Serbia and Montenegro declared war on the Ottomans
–Both were defeated
–Russia (with approval from Austria) attacked and defeated the Ottomans
–1878-Treaty of San Stefano: created large Bulgarian state-and viewed as a Russian satellite
Bismarckian System-Problem in the Balkans
• Congress of Berlin (1878):
– Dominated by Bismarck
– destroyed the Treaty of San Stefano
– Bulgarian State was reduced-returning some territory to the Ottomans
– Serbia, Montenegro, and Romania were now independent
– Bosnia and Herzegovina were placed under Austrian protection (Austria could occupy but not annex)
Bismarckian System-Problem in the Balkans
• New alliances were established:
– Russians ended the Three Emperors League (angered by the Congress of Berlin)
– Bismarck made an alliance with Austria (1879) & Italy joined in 1882 (known as the Triple Alliance)
– Bismarck made a Reinsurance Treaty with Russia (1887)—wanted to prevent a Franco-Russian alliance
– 1890: Bismarck dismissed
Bismarckian System-Problem in the Balkans
• Wilhelm II:
– Dropped the Reinsurance Treaty
– This brought France and Russia together
• British:
– Pursued a “splendid isolation” of continental affairs
– Many European countries condemned the Boer War
– Feared that the continent would turn on them
Bismarckian System-Problem in the Balkans
• British:
– Needed a continental ally
– French and Russians were not logical choice
– Germans seemed like a “natural ally” (similar heritage---Anglo-Saxons)
• However the Germans were Industrial rivals
• Germans had a growing navy
– 1904: British France created the Entente Cordiale
Bismarckian System-Problem in the Balkans
• German response: First Moroccan Crisis-1905
–Attempted to drive a wedge b/w England and France
–Only brought the allies (France England, Russia) together against Germany
Bismarckian System-Problem in the Balkans
• By 1907 two major blocs
–Triple Alliance
•Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy
–Triple Entente
•Russia, France, Great Britain
Crises in the Balkans (1908-1913)
• 1878: Bosnia & Herzegovina were under the protection of Austria
• 1908: Austria annexed the 2 Slavic territories
• Serbia is mad, they wanted to create a large Serbian kingdom
Crises in the Balkans (1908-1913)
• A-H annexed the 2 areas b/c the Empire felt threatened by the large Slavic population (nationalism)
• Russians: felt as if they were the protectors of the Slavic population & supported them against the Austrians
Crises in the Balkans (1908-1913)
• Serbs prepared for war• Wilhelm II intervened, told the
Russians to accept the annexation or face war with Germany
• Russians backed down-promised revenge
Crises in the Balkans (1908-1913)
• 1912: Serbia Bulgaria, Montenegro, and Greece organized the Balkan League
–Defeated the Ottoman Empire
–Allies fought over the newly acquired lands of Albania and Macedonia
Crises in the Balkans (1908-1913)
• 1913: Second Balkan War–Greece, Serbia, Romania, & the Ottoman Empire attacked and defeated Bulgaria
–As a result, most of Macedonia was divided b/w Serbia and Greece
Crises in the Balkans (1908-1913)• Serbia was still unhappy
– At end of the 2 wars Austria organized the London Conference: Austria created an independent Albania (Germans supported the Austrians)
– (Serbs) Desired the Albanian territory—this would give them a port on the Adriatic
– Serbian nationalism grew (portraying the Austrians as evil)
– Russians vowed to support the Serbs, and not back down to A-H & Germany again
Sum It Up In 3 Bullets
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