League of the Three Emperors
From Free net encyclopedia
League of the Three Emperors ("Dreikaiserbund") 1881
- Long term cause of the First World War
- Creation of a conservative league between Germany, Russia and Austria
- Post-Franco-Prussian War
- Alliance against radicals
Conservatives in the three countries were wary of the growing threat (as they perceived it) of liberalism and so created a league of nations that would protect their more conservative forms of government. Although the league provided no formal alliances it listed socialism and more importantly republicanism as the greatest evils—France was a republic at the time. The league was part of Otto von Bismark's grand foreign policy plan to keep France isolated and keep both the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Russian Empire on his side.
The League of Three Emperors {Dreikaiserbund) disintegrated as a result of Russia's dissatisfaction with the Congress of Berlin. The League was resurrected in 1881 after Bismarck secretly persuaded Russia to rejoin, without Austria-Hungary's acknowledgement. In 1890, Bismarck was forced to resign as the German foreign minister, under pressure from Kaiser William II - succeeded by Leo Von Caprivi. The resignation was a result of Germany's shift away from Bismarck's conservative foreign policy. That same year Caprivi rejected Russia's proposal to renew the conditions of the League of Three Emperors (The Reinsurance Treaty). Caprivi rejected the proposal much to the disappointment of the Russian Foreign Minister and a retired Bismarck. Russia, now isolated, would eventually seek an alliance with the French to counter the threat of the Triple Alliance.
At that time:
- Germany had a Kaiser, William II of Germany;
- Austria-Hungary had an emperor, Franz Joseph I; and
- Russia had a tsar, Alexander III of Russia, who claimed divine right.
Template:Austria-hist-stub Template:Germany-hist-stub Template:Russia-hist-stubde:Dreikaiserbund