resulting in the creation of Bismarck’s cherished German nation. But for the
French, their territorial loss to Prussia would prove to be an open sore for
decades and she was ‘itching’ for revenge. Neither was Bismarck’s work finished with the establishment of his nation. He had to ensure its survival, and
this he did by forming alliances which would support Germany in times of
war. The first of these was with the old foe Austria-Hungary and then with
Russia. But Russia soon withdrew and allied herself with her Slavic cousins in
Serbia, whilst Austria-Hungary allied with Romania to impose her will on the
same ‘troublesome’ Slavs who had long been under her rule. Russia’s position
in the alliance was taken by Italy, but Italy in turn prepared a secret alliance
with France in which she agreed to remain neutral if Germany attacked
France. Bismarck’s manoeuvrings drove other European nations to seek support amongst themselves and this shook Britain out of her position of ‘splendid
isolation’ which she had maintained since the 1870s in an attempt to stay out
of European politics. But Germany’s aspiration to become a colonial nation—
acquiring minor territories in the Pacific and in Africa—directly challenged
Britain’s global supremacy. German ambitions led to her developing a powerful navy and Britain responded accordingly by allying herself firstly with her
European partners, then with Japan to limit Germany’s influence in the East,
and finally by building a series of immensely powerful battleships, the
‘Dreadnaughts’. Between 1904 and 1907 Britain signed ‘cordial agreements’
with both France and Russia to ‘aid one-another in time of war’, but a much
older treaty, the ‘Treaty of London’ (1839) also committed Britain to defend
Belgian neutrality. Many of the alliances that arose because of the tensions in
Europe may well have been just ‘posturing’ and they were often facilitated by
the fact that the Royal families of Europe were interrelated. Whatever the
reason, a tangled web of inter-dependencies sprung up in the wake of the
newly united German nation.
Even by the turn of the century, the seeds of pending instability in Europe
were already sown. Tensions arose between Great Britain and Germany
because of the British wars against the Boers in South Africa. Problems
continued in 1905 when a dispute between Russia and Japan over the failure
to recognise each others interests in Manchuria and Korea led to a humiliating defeat by the Japanese fleet in the naval battle of Tsushima. President
Theodore Roosevelt subsequently intervened and facilitated a peace agreement between the two countries but with considerable gains accorded to
Japan. The scale of Russia’s defeat caused social unrest and contributed to an
attempted revolution in 1905. Russia was divided and damaged. The Tsar
was determined to find a way to unite the country and what better way than
232
D. Sheppard
French, their territorial loss to Prussia would prove to be an open sore for
decades and she was ‘itching’ for revenge. Neither was Bismarck’s work finished with the establishment of his nation. He had to ensure its survival, and
this he did by forming alliances which would support Germany in times of
war. The first of these was with the old foe Austria-Hungary and then with
Russia. But Russia soon withdrew and allied herself with her Slavic cousins in
Serbia, whilst Austria-Hungary allied with Romania to impose her will on the
same ‘troublesome’ Slavs who had long been under her rule. Russia’s position
in the alliance was taken by Italy, but Italy in turn prepared a secret alliance
with France in which she agreed to remain neutral if Germany attacked
France. Bismarck’s manoeuvrings drove other European nations to seek support amongst themselves and this shook Britain out of her position of ‘splendid
isolation’ which she had maintained since the 1870s in an attempt to stay out
of European politics. But Germany’s aspiration to become a colonial nation—
acquiring minor territories in the Pacific and in Africa—directly challenged
Britain’s global supremacy. German ambitions led to her developing a powerful navy and Britain responded accordingly by allying herself firstly with her
European partners, then with Japan to limit Germany’s influence in the East,
and finally by building a series of immensely powerful battleships, the
‘Dreadnaughts’. Between 1904 and 1907 Britain signed ‘cordial agreements’
with both France and Russia to ‘aid one-another in time of war’, but a much
older treaty, the ‘Treaty of London’ (1839) also committed Britain to defend
Belgian neutrality. Many of the alliances that arose because of the tensions in
Europe may well have been just ‘posturing’ and they were often facilitated by
the fact that the Royal families of Europe were interrelated. Whatever the
reason, a tangled web of inter-dependencies sprung up in the wake of the
newly united German nation.
Even by the turn of the century, the seeds of pending instability in Europe
were already sown. Tensions arose between Great Britain and Germany
because of the British wars against the Boers in South Africa. Problems
continued in 1905 when a dispute between Russia and Japan over the failure
to recognise each others interests in Manchuria and Korea led to a humiliating defeat by the Japanese fleet in the naval battle of Tsushima. President
Theodore Roosevelt subsequently intervened and facilitated a peace agreement between the two countries but with considerable gains accorded to
Japan. The scale of Russia’s defeat caused social unrest and contributed to an
attempted revolution in 1905. Russia was divided and damaged. The Tsar
was determined to find a way to unite the country and what better way than
232
D. Sheppard