Russia and England were united in Triple Entente against Germany and Austria.

Europe was divided into two "armed camps- and the peace of Europe rested on accidents. There were much inflamable timbers in Europe which caught occasional fire between 1904-14. At last the great conflagration blazed out in 1914. Behind every crisis there larked the shadow of power politics and the super power rivalry. (i) 'Iri 1905-6 'Kaiser visited Tangier and tried to take the Sultan of Morocco under his protection by destroying French protectorate on Morocco Crisis Morocco. Kaiser's plan for Weltpolitik and hegemony . alarmed France and England. They bound themselves by the Entente Cordiale. Fortunately war on the Morocco question was avoided by the Algeciras Conference, 1906. French annexation of Morocco was forbidden. But France also checked German infiltration in North Africa. The Morocco Crisis displayed that the Mediterranean Powers like France and England were in no mood to allow Germany a foothold in North Africa. Germany's adventure only strengthened the Anglo-French entente. (ii) The second question that heightened the international crisis was the Austrian annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As the two provinces were Austro-Serbian inhabited by Southern Slav people. Serbia claimed the rivalry for provinces on ethnological and geographical grounds. Bosnia. Serbia regarded the Austrian annexation of the provinces as a great blow to her interest. It led to the Austro-Serbian rivalry in the Balkan. Behind Austria stood the shining armour of Germany and behind Serbia stood Russia. Austria mobilised the Triple Alliance to her side and Russia mobilised Triple Entente. Ultimately the Austro-Serbian rivalry led to the murder of the Austrian crown price at Serajavo which caused the World War I. (iii) Italy's hunger for colony was unsatiated. She was the most unstable member of the Triple Alliance and was ready to sell herself to the highest Italy's colonial bidder. She cast her greedy looks on the Turkish province hunger. of Tripoli. In 1911-12 she attacked Tripoli and compelled Turkey to cede it to her by the Treaty of Lausanne. The Western Powers allowed Italy a free hand in Tripoli in order to draw her out of the Triple Alliance. (iv) In 1912-13. occurred the two Balkan wars. The unsatiated national-ism and the national in endentism in the Balkan converted her into a veritable furnace. Realising that the great powers were Balkan indifferent to their cause. the Balkan nations like Greece. Nationalism Serbia. Montenegro and Bulgaria formed the Balkan League. Their object was destruction of Turkish rule on the Christian people of Europe. The Balkan League declared war on Turkey and decisively defeated her. Turkish empire vanished from Europe. By the Treaty of London the four members of the Balkan League jointly got the European territories of Turkey. The liquidation of Turkish Empire in Europe created a power vacuum which was difficult to be filled up.