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