European Power Shifts Leading to World War I

1) The Road to War

1.1) German Foreign Policy

From the Congress of Vienna, international relations were governed by the attempt to achieve a balance between the European powers. The UK sought to preserve its maritime dominance. Since German unification, the new empire was in power at the center of the continent, changing the orientation of international relations.

Initially, Otto von Bismarck directed his diplomatic activities to prevent anti-German coalition-building and became the arbiter of European diplomacy. His main interest was the isolation of France. To this end, he built a system of alliances around Germany, which attracted Austria-Hungary and Russia. But because of the rivalry between Austria-Hungary and Russia, Germany sought new allies, like Italy, and maintained a neutrality pact with Russia.

Since 1890, Kaiser Wilhelm II began pursuing world politics, with the aim of winning a colonial empire.

The Frenchman was isolated in a second term, and the priority became the competition with the United Kingdom. Germany's rapid economic growth and protectionism resulted in a bitter rivalry between the two states over conquering the European and world markets.

1.2) Territorial Interests and Formation of Blocs

In Europe, the formation of alliances between states or political partnership commitments and mutual aid intensified. Finally, the European powers were aligned into two opposing blocs: the Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente.

This system required the allied states to intervene in any friction. Thus, the tensions that emerged in the years before 1914 created a prewar atmosphere.

The Triple Alliance:

This alliance was made by Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. The German interest in influence in the Balkans led Wilhelm II to clearly support Austrian interests in this area and encourage German capital investments there.

Italy decided to join this alliance only with the claim for the Italian-speaking Austrian territories.

The Triple Entente:

This was constituted by France, Britain, and Russia.

• France and Russia began an alliance. The French were interested in investing in Russia, and France and Russia received financial support to start their industrialization.
• France and Britain signed a collaboration agreement, the Entente Cordiale, to safeguard their economies from the great German economic growth and naval expansion.
• In 1907, Russia joined the Entente Cordiale, forming the Triple Entente. On the eve of the war, Serbia joined them.