This caused open threats of war in Vienna. Bismarck now needed a new agreement with Russia he had managed this crisis by getting Russia to sign the Reinsurance Treaty in 1887. This treaty stated that each country would remain neutral if the other went to war with a third power. The peace was kept for now, Bismarck had Russia onside again and had avoided crisis. However there was much discussion of war in late 1887 and many within the German military and Foreign office wanted war with Russia. However Bismarck managed the tense situation by remaining diplomatic. The reinsurance treaty also helped keep France isolated, meaning Russia would not co-operate with them and attack Austria-Hungary.
Tensions were about to rise when Kaiser Wilhelm II came to power in 1888 and forced Bismarck to resign. Von Caprivi replaced Bismarck as chancellor of Germany in 1890. Caprivi was inexperienced in Foreign policy, which left the Kaiser to become the architect of Germanys new foreign policy, Under the Kaisers instructions Caprivi refused to renew the Reinsurance treaty with Russia as he believed there was a conflict of interest as Germany had ties with Austria-Hungary. This was a bad move as Russia began to draw closer to France, by borrowing money and buying guns from France.
The Kaiser started his foreign policy of Welpolitik (world policy) which aimed to make Germany a strong colonial power. Germany started flexing her muscles in world affairs by sending the Kruger Telegram to the Boers in South Africa, congratulating them after they defeated the British in the Jameson raids. This was to turn out to be a badly mis managed descision, as Germany made enemies of the British, which led to the British signing the Entente Cordiale with France in 1906. This in time became known as the triple entente when Russia joined. Kaiser Wilhelm II had succeeded in undoing all Bismarcks hard work, as by 1907 Germany was surrounded by Britain, France and Russia who became allies. The alliance between France and Russia opened the opportunity for Russia to be attacked from two fronts. This influenced Germanys war strategy and led their military generals to develop the Schleffen Plan which aimed to defeat France in six weeks. Germany would then move her troops in order to defeat Russia.
The Anglo-German naval race started in 1906 when Britain launched their greatest warship ever, the Dreadnought. This led to Germanys jealousy as they too wanted to become a world power. Germany increased the number of warships in their arsenal and Britain did likewise which pointed directly to war.
The Moroccan crisis in 1905 made World War One more imminent. France and Britain had a colonial agreement, France recognized Britain in Egypt and Britain would support French claims to Morocco. However Germany believed this agreement would not last. Kaiser landed in Tangiers and announced that Morocco was independent. Britain saw this as a direct threat to their integrity, and started looking at the possibility of war with Germany, Britain began military talks with France in 1906.
The situation inflamed in Morocco once again in 1911, as the second Moroccan crisis started. Morocco was nearly pushed into civil war, France saw this as the perfect opportunity to send troops in. Germany objected to this and sent the gunboat panther, to Agadir and demanded the Frnch Congo as compensation. Britain did not take this lightly and offered to send in the BEF fleet to help France defeat Germany. However the crisis did not go that far and France and Germany came to settlement. Germany had to recognize Morocco as a protectorate of France in return for a piece of the French Congo. This was another diplomatic defeat for Germany.
In 1912 the weaker nations began to align themselves together. An anti-Ottoman Balkan league was created. Bulgaria and Serbia signed an agreement in March, Greece joined in May and Montenegro in the Autumn. Germany now saw an opportunity to gain another ally by giving Financial support to Turkey in order to rebuild her army in return for military support.
These long standing rivalries between the Great powers were to add fuel to the fire that started world war one. Historian Geiss argued that the triple alliance had started as a defensive treaty, but Kaiser Wilhelm II turned it into an offensive alliance.
By 1914 Europe had maintained a fragile peace, however the events of June 28th were about to send Europe into a Great War. Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand the heir to the Austrian Hungarian throne was assassinated in Sarajevo by the Black hand a Serbian nationalist group. This caused outrage from the Austrian government who accused the Serbs of assisting in the assassination. Austria Hungary asked for the assassin to be brought to justice or there would be war. Austria-Hungary was feeling quite confident because the Kaiser who had pledged his support had given them a blank cheque. War was declared on Serbia a month after the assassination, Russia mobilized the next day, Germany put their Schlieffen plan into action which brought France and Britain into the war. By August 6th this mis-managed Balkan crisis had turned into a fully blown World War. Historian Fritz Fischer argued that this was a result Germany trying to become a world power plus Germany encouraged Austria Hungary to start a war with Serbia. Moreover Germany had clear aims which had already been planned before to gain large territorial gains in Europe.
The first world war was a result of long standing rivalries between the great powers. Germany and Austria-Hungary were always natural allies as were Britain, France and Russia during the period 1878 and 1914.
