Local churches also became the hubs of community news with news of the wars' events being posted on their noticeboards and official communications being read out in the preacher's pulpit. By the early summer of 1914, the Germans had come to similar conclusions. On the one hand, Ethiopia was a powerful state that was looking to build an empire of its own in the surrounding territory. 175-204. This was in line with efforts to improve relations with Russia, not least to safeguard British interests in India and the Persian Gulf. He next helped to engineer a conflict with France over border states in 1870. The bank's losses totaled $624,000, which was less than the$1.83 million in bogus loans, because Guisti used a portion of the borrowed money to repay loans as they came due. Bismarck's foreign policy had many aims. From the French point of view, there was also reason to doubt Russias commitment to concentrate her army against Germany, not Austria-Hungary. This pan-Slavic sentiment was backed by Russia who had signed a military agreement to aid Serbia if the nation was attacked by the Austrians. The secret alliance treaty of 7 October 1879 assured Austria-Hungary of German military assistance in case of a Russian attack on the Dual Monarchy. From this perspective, time was on the side of the Triple Entente, provided Russia continued to build up her military and was able to shield client Serbia from Austrian pressure with the assistance of France and Britain.[24]. The Balkan Wars Seeking to take advantage of Ottoman weakness, Serbia, Bulgaria, Montenegro, and Greece declared war in October 1912. Sometimes, the explorers would get just about anyone to sign the treaty, including leaders who didnt really have the power or authority to sign them. The Bismarck : The Myth and Reality of The Battleship Bismarck That Prussian citizens should have greater political rights. Some historians argue that Bismarck only intended to unify the north German states. In England, there was often disagreement amongst the nobles of England as to how to best conduct the war against France, indeed even whether to conduct it at all. Grey inherited the Entente Cordiale from his predecessor, but he would give it broader significance. Fischer, Fritz - Germany's Aims in the First World War [21] Nevertheless, the Triple Entente was an element of European politics to be reckoned with. Germany's Aims in the First World War | PDF - Scribd Unlike the Dual Alliance or the Triple Alliance treaties, the Franco-Russian agreement was more specific in terms of military aspects. After a crisis in the mid-1870s, German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck (1815-1898) settled on a course of securing the empires position by isolating France and engaging with the other Great Powers, in particular Austria-Hungary and Russia. The Berlin Conference, illustration from an 1897 textbook, Africa, 1880 (prior to the conference) and 1913 (post conference). The Triple Alliance Facts & Worksheets - School History One of the aims was to leave territorial expansion behind. Without German consent, any diplomatic or military action taken by the Austrians that led to Russian countermeasures might jeopardize Germanys commitment to the alliance. He believed that the masses would support conservatism and the monarchy. Poverty is a reflection of inherent weakness in poor individuals. Which of these was a major trend in European government in the second half of the nineteenth century? The Germans would get little in return, since the Austrians were under no obligation to come to their allys rescue in the case of a French attack on the German Empire. In the 1860s, Otto von Bismarck, then Minister President of Prussia, provoked three short, decisive wars against Denmark, Austria, and France, aligning the smaller German states behind Prussia in its defeat of France. a. Bismarck knew Germany might become involved in an Austro-Russian war over the Balkans due to the declining Ottoman Empire and Turkish power b. It was a form of legal violence practiced upon the whole continent and all of its people. This race for control in the Congo region was just one of many that were happening in the 1880s as Europeans turned their attention and efforts to violently conquering African societies. In England, many barons had become extremely rich as their power increased at local level and the king became correspondingly weaker and poorer as the barons kept local revenues to themselves. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms. It was no formal alliance and therefore neither a casus foederis nor a military commitment were part of the agreement. From an Italian point of view, her allies pledge of support in case of a war with France was essential; for Bismarck, the alliance helped to keep France isolated and would, in combination with the Dual Alliance, allay Austrian fears of Russian dominance in South East Europe. The loan taken out in the fictitious name would not have had a credit report and should have been flagged by a loan review clerk at the bank's headquarters. It may not have been the start of colonialism, but it sure accelerated the process.