The Road to War: Europe, 1870-1914

GCSE History

A1: The Road to War: Europe, 1870-1914

Questions

a) i) Give ONE reason to explain why the Treaty of San Stefano was disliked by the Great Powers of Europe. (3)

ii) Describe the key features of the Treaty of Berlin (1878). (5)

iii) Why was there a crisis over Bulgaria in the years 1885-86? (5)

iv) Why did tension in the Balkans increase in the years 1908-1913? (7)

Answers

a) i) One reason to explain why the Great Powers of Europe disliked the Treaty of San Stefano was because part of the Treaty stated that a large self-governing pro-Russian Bulgaria under an elected prince was to be created. Thus potentially giving Russia access to the Mediterranean and India. It was to be occupied for two years by Russian troops.

The Great Powers of Europe therefore disliked this because it was felt that by the creation of the ‘Big Bulgaria’ it was giving Russia too much influence in the Balkans. Britain and Austria both wanted to preserve the Turkish Empire as it prevented the extension of Russian power into the eastern Mediterranean, which had become an area of great strategic importance for the British Empire since the opening of the Suez Canal in 1866 as the shortest route to India.

ii) Under the Treaty of Berlin (1878) the large Bulgaria of San Stefano was broken up into three parts:

the largest of these sections was the core state of Bulgaria, which officially became a self-governing principality under ultimate Turkish overlordship. The Russians were to control its administration for nine months. In April 1879 Alexander of Battenberg, the nephew of the Czar, was elected Price of Bulgaria.

The second section was called Eastern Roumelia and placed under a Turkish governor although a European commission was to draw up a programme of reforms for him to introduce.
The rest of ‘big Bulgaria’, which included the strategically important territory on the Aegean Sea, was back under direct Turkish control.

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The second section was called Eastern Roumelia and placed under a Turkish governor although a European commission was to draw up a programme of reforms for him to introduce.
The rest of ‘big Bulgaria’, which included the strategically important territory on the Aegean Sea, was back under direct Turkish control.

The tree Balkan states of Serbia, Montenegro and Romania gained complete independence but lost some of the land given to them at Stefano. Austria was given the right to occupy, but not annex, Bosnia and Herzegovina. While Britain’s secret treaty with Turkey was confirmed, which would allow the British to use Cyprus as a military base. France was encouraged to occupy the self-governing Turkish territory of Tunis.

iii) There was a crisis over Bulgaria in the years 1885-86 because of a revolt in Eastern Roumelia in favour of unity with Bulgaria under Prince Alexander in September 1885. Initially the Russians tried to reassure the British and Austrians that, despite their bad relations with Alexander, they had no intention of intervening, but the crisis began to escalate dangerously. Serbia launched an attack on the Bulgarians in November 1885 in an effort to gain territory, which would compensate it for the increase in Bulgarian strength brought through about by unification.

When its troops were decisively defeated at Slivnitza, the Austrians made it clear that they would protect Serbia if the Bulgarians invaded. The Russians, alarmed by the prospect of an Austrian occupation of Serbia, protested strongly, and behind the scenes Bismarck firmly vetoed all Austrian plans for assisting Serbia.

A compromise was suggested by Britain whereby the two Bulgarian states would remain technically separated but Alexander would become the Governor-General of Roumelia. Temporarily tension subsided, but the Russians, quite contrary to their earlier intentions, were determined to stop a unified Bulgaria under Alexander, whom they now considered to be an outright enemy. In August 1886 they had him kidnapped and he was forced to abdicate a month later.

iv) Tensions in the Balkans increased in the years of 1908-1913 because in 1908 Austria went ahead with annexing Bosnia-Herzegovina. This annexation, however, was met with a storm of compliant throughout Europe. Also because Montenegro declared war on Turkey on 8 October 1912, later to be followed a few days later by Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia. Within three weeks the Turkish Empire in Europe had collapsed. What made this situation so tense was that:

Austria faced a greatly strengthened Serbia, which had occupied part of Albania. Austria, however, was determined to make Albania an independent state so as to deny Serbia access to the Adriatic. At first Russia supported Serbian claims and Austria began to concentrate troops near the Russian frontier.
The crisis also threatened to activate ‘the alliance system’. Behind Austria stood Germany and behind Russia stood France. Although neither wanted war in the Balkans both Powers made it clear that they would stand by their ally if it were attacked.

The Great Powers agreed to call a peace conference in London to settle the territorial problem in the Balkans. By the Treaty of London of 30 May 1913 the Turks gave up all their territory in the Balkans except for a small zone around the Dardanelles and Bosporous which satisfied Russia, while Austria’s demand that an independent Albania be set up was also agreed to.

Yet at the end of June the Second Balkan War broke out when Bulgaria, which felt cheated of its just share of territory, attacked Serbia. The Greeks, the Romanians and the Turks all supported Serbia and within a month Bulgaria was defeated.

Questions

b) i) Explain the main aims of Bismarck’s policies towards France in the years 1879-90. (10)

ii) In what ways did France try to develop a system of defensive alliances in the years 1894-1914? (15)

Answers

b) i) The main aims of Bismarck’s policies towards France in the years 1879-90 were to isolate it or appease it in areas where its policy represented no threat to Germany. So Bismarck began setting up web of alliances, like the Austro-German Dual Alliance of 1879. Bismarck then attempted to revive the Three Emperors’ League, which would open the way up to better relations between Vienna and St. Petersburg and continue to keep France isolated. He was able to accomplish this and the Three Emperors’ Alliance was signed on 18 June 1881 with Germany, Austria- Hungary and Russia.

Germany later formed another alliance with Austria- Hungary and Italy and called it the Triple Alliance in 1882, the Triple Alliance was renewed in February 1887 in order to isolate France in Western Europe during the Bulgarian crisis so as to deter its Government from supporting Russia. Also during the Bulgarian Crisis the alliance of the Three Emperors had collapsed, so Germany tried to restore relations with Russia. Through this a three-year agreement with Russia was signed on 18 June 1887 called the Reinsurance Treaty.

b) ii) France tried to develop a system of defensive alliances in the years 1894-1914 by trying to improve relations with Russia, and so France began negotiating an Entente, and drew up the Franco- Russian Alliance in 1894. The Treaty was a considerable triumph for the French as it marked the end of their diplomatic isolation in Europe. However, both Russia and France each wanted different things from it. Paris was determined to turn it primarily into an anti-German alliance.

France later also tried to improve relations with Britain, and so an Agreement was signed on 8 April 1904 called the Entente Cordiale. This agreement certainly improved Anglo-French relations but it was not an alliance since both countries retained full freedom of action. Three years later, in 1907 Russia joined this agreement, and this agreement was known as the Triple Entente.

These alliances that France had been making proved to be very strong and secure in the years of 1905 and 1911 when two Moroccan crises had occurred. On which on both occasions Germany interfered with French dealings in Morocco, which lead to both Britain and Russia supporting France against Germany.