The Bismarkian Alliance System :

purposes and evolution

After the German unification in 1871 and the

creation of the German Empire, Bismark was
willing to establish a new european order, with
Germany as a country that was quickly gaining
strength and power.

As far as the foreign policy was concerned,

Bismark wanted to prevent a two fronts potential
war with both the Russians in the east and the
traditional enemy and revengeful french neighbor in
the west after the loss of the Alsace-Lorraine.

Fearing a “nightmare of coalitions” that could

eventually be disastrous for Germany, he worked
towards the establishment of a configuration in
which Germany would have good relations with all
the european countries (excluding France). In order
to achieve this goal he signed several alliances that
would lead to the birth of what was also known as
the Bismarckian Alliance System. The latter was a
very strategical and tactical system (one could even
say machiavellian) later called “realpolitik” in
which Otto Von Bismark played the role of a
“honest broker” (ehrlicher Makler in German),
expressing his wishes for peace as well as the
limitation of Germany's territory in addition to
showing the central diplomatic role of Germany
within Europe with as a major consequence, the
isolation of France.
 A caricature representing the Bismarckian foreign policy
Bismarck in the center is negotiating with his neighbors while France is isolated and cries because it doesn't manage to
establish any link with the other European powers.
 The Bismarckian Alliance System
consisted of four major alliances
1. League of the Three Emperors

The league of the Three Emperors was an alliance

between the German Empire, Austria-Hungary, and
the Russian Empire that started in 1873 with the
purpose of separating Russia from a potential
alliance with France. The establishment of this
alliance was complicated because of the tensions
between Austria-Hungary and the Russian empire
but Bismark's determination was successful in
appeasing the tensions.

The “League of the Three Emperors” was renewed

in 1881 as “Dreikaiserbündnis” committing each of
the three countries to stay neutral in case of war.
This agreement was signed whereas the relation
between Russia and Austria-Hungary were under
tension what will later be a contributing cause for
the withdrawal of Russia.
 2. The Dual Alliance

The dual alliance was established between the

German Empire and Austria-Hungary in october of
1979 although it was unveiled nine years later in
February of 1888, offering a mutual assistance in
case one of the partners was attacked by Russia.
The agreement was committing the two countries to
stay neutral with each other if a third party attacked
one of them (implicitly referring to France).

A caricature depicting Bismarck's as “The big Ogre”

 3. The triple alliance

The triple alliance (Dreibund in german) was

established in 1882 between the German Empire,
Austria-Hungary and Italy and remained valid until
the the World War I started in 1914. The triple
alliance was actually the renewal of The Dual
Alliance, enlarged by the incorporation of Italy. The
three countries were committed to protect and help
each other in case of a military attack (especially
concerning: France). Italy joined the alliance
mainly because it felt threatened by the colonial
french policy in north Africa.
 4. The Reinsurance Treaty
The Reinsurance Treaty (Rückversicherungsvertrag
in German) united the German empire and Russia in
1887 after a five months negotiation process
leading to confirm and consolidate a neutrality
commitment. Russia would stay neutral if France
attacked Germany and the latter would stay neutral
in Russia is attacked by Austria-Hungary . In
addition to that, Germany committed itself to
defend Russian interests in the Balkans.
Germany, which is vulnerable because of its
geographical position, based each alliance on a
realpolitik basis (a system of politics or principles
based on practical rather than moral or ideological
considerations1) with as a final goal to prevent
Germany from undergoing a military conflict from
either the east front or the west front, as the French
were seeking for a revenge. The Bismarckian
strategy was pretty successful what strengthened
Bismarck's notoriety at both the domestic and the
foreign level.
1 http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Realpolitik.aspx
Summary of the Bismarkian Alliance System.