The formation of the Entente and the triple alliance is brief. Triple Alliance: reasons for creation and consequences

The triple alliance, which included Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy, took shape in the period from 1879 to 1882. The formation of the Triple Alliance was aimed at achieving hegemony in the world. The Entente bloc was created as a counterbalance to the Triple Alliance. From the French name "Entente" is translated as "consent". It included Russia, France, Great Britain.

Attempts to weaken the Entente were made more than once by the Triple Alliance. A convenient reason was the contradictions between Russia and England in Iran. However, Russia's military campaigns in the Balkans, carried out in the period from 1912 to 1913, made it possible to significantly strengthen relations between the countries of this military-political bloc. But, it should be noted that relations between the Entente member countries periodically deteriorated. The Triple Alliance and the Entente were powerful opposing forces.

Finally, the Entente alliance took shape not long before World War I. After the revolutionary events of 1917, it was an alliance for many more countries. The Entente included: Japan, Belgium, Greece, Serbia, Romania and so on. The main role was played by France, the USA and England.

The leadership of the Entente was carried out during the conferences between the allied countries in the period from 1915 to 1918. But, this was not enough to create a unified leadership of the union. The reasons for the lack of a unified leadership were: the dissimilarity of the interests of the countries participating in the union, different distances from the theaters of military operations, various military capabilities.

February Revolution of 1917 in Russia

Since the revolution of 1905-1907. did not solve the economic, political and class contradictions in the country, then it was the prerequisite for the February Revolution of 1917. The participation of tsarist Russia in the First World War showed the inability of its economy to carry out military tasks. Many factories stopped their work, the army felt the lack of equipment, weapons, food. The transport system of the country is absolutely not adapted to the military situation, agriculture has lost ground. Economic difficulties have increased Russia's foreign debt to enormous proportions.

Intending to extract the maximum benefits from the war, the Russian bourgeoisie began to create unions and committees on issues of raw materials, fuel, food, and so on.

True to the principle of proletarian internationalism, the Bolshevik Party revealed the imperialist nature of the war, which was waged in the interests of the exploiting classes, its predatory, predatory nature. The party sought to direct the discontent of the masses into the channel of a revolutionary struggle for the collapse of the autocracy.

In August 1915, the Progressive Bloc was formed, which planned to force Nicholas II to abdicate in favor of his brother Mikhail. Thus, the opposition bourgeoisie hoped to prevent the revolution and at the same time preserve the monarchy. But such a scheme did not ensure bourgeois-democratic transformations in the country.

The reasons for the February Revolution of 1917 were anti-war sentiments, the plight of the workers and peasants, political lack of rights, the decline in the authority of the autocratic government and its inability to carry out reforms.

The driving force in the struggle was the working class, led by the revolutionary Bolshevik Party. The allies of the workers were the peasants, who demanded the redistribution of land. The Bolsheviks explained to the soldiers the goals and objectives of the struggle.

The main events of the February Revolution took place rapidly. For several days in Petrograd, Moscow and other cities there was a wave of strikes with the slogans "Down with the tsarist government!", "Down with the war!". On February 25, the political strike became general. Executions, arrests were not able to stop the revolutionary onslaught of the masses. Government troops were put on alert, the city of Petrograd was turned into a military camp.

February 26, 1917 was the beginning of the February Revolution. On February 27, the soldiers of the Pavlovsky, Preobrazhensky and Volynsky regiments went over to the side of the workers. This decided the outcome of the struggle: on February 28, the government was overthrown.

The outstanding significance of the February Revolution is that it was the first people's revolution in history of the era of imperialism, which ended in victory.

During the February Revolution of 1917, Tsar Nicholas II abdicated.

Dual power arose in Russia, which was a kind of result of the February Revolution of 1917. On the one hand, the Soviet of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies as an organ of people's power, on the other hand, the Provisional Government is an organ of the dictatorship of the bourgeoisie, headed by Prince G.E. Lvov. In organizational matters, the bourgeoisie was more prepared for power, but was unable to establish autocracy.

The provisional government pursued an anti-people, imperialist policy: the land issue was not resolved, factories remained in the hands of the bourgeoisie, agriculture and industry were in dire need, and there was not enough fuel for rail transport. The dictatorship of the bourgeoisie only deepened the economic and political problems.

Russia after the February Revolution experienced an acute political crisis. Therefore, the need was ripe for the development of the bourgeois-democratic revolution into a socialist one, which was supposed to bring the proletariat to power.

One of the consequences of the February Revolution is the October Revolution under the slogan "All power to the Soviets!".

Everyone is looking for and not finding the reason why the war began. Their search is in vain, they will not find this reason. The war did not start for any one reason, the war started for all reasons at once.

(Thomas Woodrow Wilson)

Since the end of the 19th century, European politicians have been haunted by the feeling of an impending catastrophe. The world was shaken by the Anglo-Boer, then the Spanish-American, then the Russian-Japanese, Italian-Turkish and endless Balkan wars, but they did not develop into a big war. And the political crises that disturbed Europe could lose count.

Who will we be friends with?

In 1905, Germany concluded an alliance treaty with Russia (Bjork Treaty), but it never entered into force. By 1914, two powerful military-political blocs had already taken shape. The Old World was divided into two warring camps - the Triple Alliance and the Entente. A clash between these groups seemed inevitable, but hardly anyone could have imagined then what catastrophic consequences it would lead to. Twenty million killed, hundreds of millions maimed, razed to the ground once flourishing cities and villages - such was the result of the First World War ...

All the major states of the planet have been preparing for a world war since the 1880s. Somewhere at the beginning of the second decade of the 20th century, preparations for the Great War were generally completed, that is, a huge amount of weapons and military equipment was accumulated in European states, and an infrastructure aimed at war was created. It remains only to find a suitable occasion. And they found him. On June 28, 1914, in Sarajevo, the Serbian patriot Gavrila Princip assassinated the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of the Habsburg dynasty, deputy commander-in-chief of the empire's army. And all the major powers considered it necessary to start a war. And the war began. The terrorist act was just an excuse that everyone was waiting for.

Long before that, a tangle of contradictions was growing in Europe between the great powers - Germany, Austria-Hungary, France, Great Britain, and also Russia. The growing economic power of Germany required the redistribution of world markets, which was opposed by Great Britain. French and German interests clashed in the disputed frontier areas that changed hands over the centuries - Alsace and Lorraine. In the Middle East, the interests of almost all powers clashed, striving to be in time for the division of the crumbling Ottoman Empire.

Block Entente(formed after the Anglo-Russian alliance in 1907):

Russian Empire, Great Britain, France.

Block Triple Alliance:

Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy.

However, during the war there were some reshuffles and replacements: Italy entered the war in 1915 on the side of the Entente, and Turkey and Bulgaria joined Germany and Austria-Hungary, forming Quadruple Union(or bloc of the Central Powers).

Central Powers:

Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire (Turkey), Bulgaria.

Allies of the Entente:

Japan, Italy, Serbia, USA, Romania.

Friends of the Entente(supported the Entente in the war):

Montenegro, Belgium, Greece, Brazil, China, Afghanistan, Cuba, Nicaragua, Siam, Haiti, Liberia, Panama, Honduras, Costa Rica.

A lot of oddities in the Entente camp happened due to the fact that Russia and France were in its composition ... France is an ally of Russia; France's ally is Great Britain. Eternal enemy Great Britain becomes an ally of Russia. An ally of Great Britain... Japan! As a result, a recent enemy - Japan becomes an ally of Russia.

On the other hand, the obvious enmity between Turkey and Russia led to the fact that this country, which was under strong British influence, turned out to be an ally of Germany. Italy, which was part of the Triple Alliance and for many years considered a natural ally of Germany, ended up in the camp of the Entente countries.

A hodgepodge. Kish-mish in Turkish.

Timeline of the declaration of war

As a result, 38 states participated in the war, in which 70% of the world's population lived. The Entente forces, led by France, Russia, Great Britain, from 1915 Italy, and from 1917 the United States defeated the states of the Quadruple Alliance (also known as the Central States) led by Austria-Hungary, Germany, the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria.

In August 1914, the world did not yet know how grandiose and catastrophic the war declared on the first day of the last summer month would become. No one knew yet what incalculable victims, disasters and upheavals it would bring to humanity and what an indelible mark it would leave in its history. As a result of the war, the armies of the participating countries lost about 10 million soldiers killed and 22 million wounded. And it was precisely those terrible four years of the First World War that, despite the calendars, were destined to become the true beginning of the 20th century.

In September 1914, the first Battle of the Marne took place. The war unfolded in two main theaters of operations - in Western and Eastern Europe, as well as in the Balkans and Northern Italy, in the colonies - in Africa, in China, in Oceania. Very soon after the start of the war, it became clear that the clash would take on a protracted character. The uncoordinated actions of the Entente countries, which had a noticeable superiority, allowed Germany - the main military force of the Triple Alliance - to wage war on an equal footing.

Despite fierce resistance, by 1917 it became clear that the victory would go to the Entente. In 1915, Italy declared war on Austria-Hungary. The United States came out on the side of the Entente (after the famous “Zimmermann telegram”). In August 1916, Romania, which also hesitated for a long time, joined the Entente, but it turned out very unsuccessfully; soon its territory was occupied by the countries of the German bloc (much later, regarding the reliability of Romania as an ally, A. Hitler said: “If Romania ended the war on the same side as it started, it means that it defected twice!”).

The internal situation led to the February Revolution in Russia, and later to the October Revolution, as a result of which Russia separately withdrew from the war on extremely unfavorable terms (the capitulatory Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was concluded - an “obscene peace”, in the words of V. I. Lenin), so how by 1917 Russia was no longer able to conduct any kind of military operations. This allowed Germany to continue the war for another year.

After the failure of another offensive on the Western Front in November 1918, a revolution also began in Germany (ending on November 9 with the overthrow of Kaiser Wilhelm and the establishment of the Weimar Republic).

On November 11, 1918, the German and Allied command signed a truce in Compiègne, which ended the First World War. In the same month, Austria-Hungary ceased to exist, disintegrating into several states; the monarchy was overthrown.

Fall of empires

The result of the First World War was the disintegration and liquidation of four empires: the German, Russian, Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman (Ottoman), the latter two were divided, and Germany and Russia, ceasing to be monarchies, were cut down territorially and weakened economically. Germany lost its colonial territories. Czechoslovakia, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Yugoslavia gained independence. The war set the stage for the future collapse of the British Empire.

The First World War marked the end of the old world order that had taken shape after the Napoleonic Wars. The outcome of the conflict proved to be an important factor in the outbreak of World War II. It was the revanchist sentiment in Germany that actually led to the Second World War.

In addition, the world war became one of the main reasons that turned the life of Russia over the revolutions - the February and October. Old Europe, which for centuries retained leading positions in political, economic and cultural life, began to lose its leading position, giving way to the emerging new leader - the United States of America (or the USA - the North American United States, as it was customary to call this country at that time).

This war raised the question of the further coexistence of various peoples and states in a new way. And in the human dimension, its price turned out to be unprecedentedly high - the great powers that were part of the opposing blocs and assumed the brunt of the hostilities lost a significant part of their gene pool. The historical consciousness of the peoples turned out to be so poisoned that for a long time it cut off the path to reconciliation for those of them who acted as opponents on the battlefields. The World War “rewarded” those who passed through its crucible and survived with a bitterness that constantly reminded of itself. People's faith in the reliability and rationality of the existing world order was seriously undermined.

Brief background

At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the balance of power in the international arena changed dramatically. The geopolitical aspirations of the great powers - Great Britain, France and Russia on the one hand, Germany and Austria-Hungary on the other - led to an unusually sharp rivalry.

In the last third of the 19th century, the geopolitical picture of the world looked like this: the United States and Germany, in terms of economic growth, began to outpace and displace the "old" great powers - Great Britain and France, on the world market, while simultaneously claiming their colonial possessions. In this regard, relations between Germany and Great Britain became extremely aggravated in the struggle both for colonies and for dominance in the open spaces of the ocean. In the same period, two unfriendly blocs of countries formed, finally delimiting relations between them. It all started with the Austro-German Union, formed in 1879 on the initiative of Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. Subsequently, Bulgaria and Turkey joined this alliance. Somewhat later, the so-called Quadruple Alliance, or Central Bloc, was formed, which marked the beginning of a series of international treaties that led to the creation in 1891-1893 of the opposing Russian-French bloc.

Shooting chain. Before the run

In 1904, Great Britain signed three conventions with France, which meant the establishment of the Anglo-French “cordial agreement” - “Entente cordiale” (this bloc began to be called the Entente later, when a short rapprochement was outlined in the conflicting relations between these two countries). In 1907, in order to settle colonial issues regarding Tibet, Afghanistan and Iran, a Russian-English treaty was concluded, which actually meant the inclusion of Russia in the Entente, or the "Triple Agreement". In the growing rivalry, each of the great powers pursued its own interests.

The Russian Empire, realizing the need to curb the expansion of Germany and Austria-Hungary in the Balkans and strengthen its own positions there, counted on the conquest of Galicia from Austria-Hungary, not excluding the establishment of control over the Black Sea straits of the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles, which are in Turkish possession.

The British Empire aimed to eliminate its main competitor - Germany and to strengthen its own position as a leading power, while maintaining dominance at sea. At the same time, Britain planned to weaken and subjugate its allies - Russia and France - to its foreign policy. The latter longed for revenge for the defeat suffered during the Franco-Prussian War, and most importantly, she wanted to return the provinces of Alsace and Lorraine lost in 1871.

Germany intended to defeat Great Britain in order to seize her colonies rich in raw materials, defeat France and secure the border provinces of Alsace and Lorraine. In addition, Germany sought to take over the vast colonies that belonged to Belgium and Holland, in the east its geopolitical interests extended to the possessions of Russia - Poland, Ukraine and the Baltic states, and it also hoped to subjugate the Ottoman Empire (now Turkey) and Bulgaria, after which, together with Austria-Hungary to establish control in the Balkans. Aiming at the speedy achievement of their goals, the German leadership in every possible way looked for a reason to unleash hostilities, and he eventually found himself in Sarajevo ...

"Oh, what a wonderful war!"

The military euphoria that engulfed European countries gradually turned into military psychosis. On the day the hostilities began, Emperor Franz Joseph published a manifesto, which, among other things, contained the famous phrase: “I weighed everything, I thought everything over” ... On the same day, a meeting of the Russian Council of Ministers was held. The military leadership of the country considered it necessary to conduct a general mobilization, conscripting 5.5 million people into the army. War Minister V. A. Sukhomlinov and Chief of the General Staff N. N. Yanushkevich insisted on this in the hope of a fleeting (lasting 4-6 months) war. Germany presented Russia with an ultimatum demanding an end to the general mobilization within 12 hours - before 12:00 on August 1, 1914. The ultimatum expired, and Russia found itself at war with Germany.

Further events developed rapidly and inevitably. On August 2, Germany entered the war with Belgium, on August 3 - with France, and on August 4, official notification was received in Berlin about the start of hostilities against her by Great Britain. Thus, diplomatic battles in Europe were replaced by bloody battles on the battlefield.

Russian three-inch shoes at a military review

Probably, the top leadership of Germany and Austria-Hungary did not imagine what disastrous consequences their actions would lead to, but it was the political short-sightedness of Berlin and Vienna that made such a fatal development possible. In conditions when there was still the possibility of resolving the crisis peacefully, neither in Germany nor in Austria-Hungary was there a single politician who would come up with such an initiative.

Interestingly, by the beginning of the 20th century, there were no such insurmountable contradictions between Germany and Russia, which inevitably had to develop into such a large-scale military confrontation. However, the desire of the German Empire for European and world domination was obvious. The Habsburg Empire was guided by similar ambitions. With their military and political power growing, neither Russia nor France, much less Great Britain, could afford to be on the sidelines. As Russian Foreign Minister S. D. Sazonov noted on this occasion, in case of inaction, one would have to “not only abandon Russia’s age-old role as the protector of the Balkan peoples, but also recognize that the will of Austria and Germany standing behind her back is the law for Europe ".

"War to the bitter end!"

By the beginning of August 1914, the prospect of a "great European war" was in sight. The main powers of the opposing alliances - the Entente and the Central Bloc - began to put their armed forces on alert. Millions of armies went to their original combat positions, and their military command was already looking forward to a quick victory. Then few could have imagined how unattainable it was ...

At first glance, there was no logic in the fact that the further events of August 1914 unfolded according to a scenario that no one could have imagined. In fact, such a turn was predetermined by a number of circumstances, factors and trends.

On August 8, representatives of most political parties and associations at a meeting of the Russian State Duma expressed loyal feelings to the emperor, as well as faith in the correctness of his actions and readiness, putting aside internal disagreements, to support the soldiers and officers who found themselves on the fronts. The national slogan "War to the bitter end!" was picked up even by liberal-minded oppositionists, who until quite recently stood up for Russia's restraint and caution in foreign policy decisions.

After the announcement of the Supreme Manifesto on the war from all over the country, from all the provinces, assurances of loyal feelings poured into St. Petersburg. A week later, response telegrams arrived: “I thank the population of the province for their devotion and readiness to serve Me and the Motherland. Nicholas."

A well-known example of the confrontation of political blocs in the international arena is the clash of large countries during the 1900s.

During the period of tension before the events of the First World War, strong players on the world stage came together to dictate their policies and have an advantage in resolving foreign policy issues. In response, an alliance was created, which was supposed to be a counterbalance to these events.

Thus begins the history of confrontation, the basis of which was the Entente and the Triple Alliance. Another name is Antanta or Entente (translated as "cordial consent").

Countries - members of the Triple Alliance

The international military bloc, which was originally formed to strengthen hegemony, included the following list of countries (see table):

1. Germany- played a key role in the formation of the union, concluding the first military agreement.
2. Austria-Hungary- the second participant who joined the German Empire.
3. Italy- joined the union last.

A little later, after the events of World War I, Italy was withdrawn from the bloc, but nevertheless the coalition did not break up, but on the contrary, the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria additionally entered it.

Creation of the Triple Alliance

The history of the Triple Alliance begins with an allied agreement between the German Empire and Austria-Hungary - these events took place in the Austrian city of Vienna in 1879.

The main clause of the agreement indicated the obligation to enter into hostilities on the side of the ally, if aggression was carried out by the Russian Empire.

In addition, the pact was enshrined in the requirement to comply with the neutral side, if the allies are attacked by someone other than Russia.

At the same time, Germany was worried about the growing position in the international arena of France. Therefore, Otto von Bismarck was looking for ways to push France into isolation.

Favorable conditions developed in 1882, when the Austrian Habsburgs were involved in the negotiations, which played a decisive role in Italy's decision.

The secret alliance between Italy and the Germany-Austria-Hungary bloc consisted in providing support for troops in the event of French military aggression, as well as maintaining neutrality in the event of an attack on one of the coalition member countries.

Aims of the Triple Alliance in World War I

The main goal of the Triple Alliance on the eve of the war was the creation of such a military-political coalition, which in its power would oppose the alliance of the Russian Empire, Great Britain and France (opponents).

However, the participating countries also pursued their own goals:

1. The German Empire, due to its rapidly growing economy, needed as many resources as possible and, as a result, more colonies. The Germans also had claims to the redistribution of spheres of influence in the world, aimed at the formation of German hegemony.
2. The goals of Austria-Hungary were to establish control over the Balkan Peninsula. For the most part, the case was carried out for the sake of capturing Serbia and some other Slavic countries.
3. The Italian side had territorial claims to Tunisia, and also sought to secure its access to the Mediterranean Sea, bringing it under its absolute control.

Entente - who was part of and how it was formed

After the formation of the Triple Alliance, the distribution of forces in the international arena changed dramatically and led to a clash of colonial interests between England and the German Empire.

Expansive action in the Middle East and Africa prompted Great Britain to act more actively, and they began negotiations for a military agreement with the Russian Empire and France.

The beginning of the definition of the Entente was laid in 1904 when France and Great Britain concluded a pact according to which all colonial claims on the African question were transferred under its protectorate.

At the same time, obligations for military support were confirmed only between France and the Russian Empire, while England in every possible way avoided such confirmation.

The emergence of this military-political bloc made it possible to level the differences between the major powers and make them more capable of resisting the aggression of the Triple Alliance.

Accession of Russia to the Entente

The events that marked the beginning of the drawing of the Russian Empire into the Entente bloc occurred in 1892.

It was then that a powerful military agreement was concluded with France, according to which, in case of any aggression, the ally country would withdraw all available armed forces for mutual assistance.

At the same time, by 1906, tensions between Russia and Japan were growing, caused by negotiations on the Treaty of Portsmouth. This could provoke the loss of some Far Eastern territories by Russia.

Realizing these facts, Foreign Minister Izvolsky set a course for rapprochement with Great Britain. This was a favorable move in history, since England and Japan were allies, and an agreement could settle mutual claims.

The success of Russian diplomacy was the signing of the Russo-Japanese Agreement in 1907, according to which all territorial issues were settled. This greatly influenced the acceleration of negotiations with England - the date of August 31, 1907 marked the conclusion of the Russian-English agreement.

This fact was final, after which Russia finally joined the Entente.

The final design of the Entente

The final events that completed the formation of the Entente bloc were the signing of mutual agreements between Britain and France to settle colonial issues in Africa.

This included the following documents:

1. The division of the territories of Egypt and Morocco was made.
2. The borders of England and France in Africa were clearly separated. Newfoundland completely departed from Britain, France received part of the new territories in Africa.
3. Settlement of the Madagascar question.

These documents formed a bloc of alliances between the Russian Empire, Great Britain and France.

Plans of the Entente in the First World War

The main goal of the Entente on the eve of the First World War (1915) was to suppress the military superiority of Germany, which was planned to be implemented from several sides. This is, first of all, a war on two fronts with Russia and France, as well as a complete naval blockade by England.

At the same time, the members of the agreement had a personal interest in:

1. England had claims to the rapidly and steadily growing German economy, the rate of production of which had an overwhelming effect on the English economy. In addition, Britain saw the German Empire as a military threat to its sovereignty.
2. France sought to regain the territories of Alsace and Lorraine lost during the Franco-Prussian clash. These lands were also important for the economy due to the large amount of resources.
3. Tsarist Russia pursued as its goals the spread of influence on the important economic zone of the Mediterranean and the settlement of territorial claims on a number of Polish lands and territories in the Balkans.

The results of the confrontation between the Entente and the Triple Alliance

The result of the confrontation following the results of the First World War was the complete defeat of the Triple Alliance- Italy was lost, and the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian empires, which were part of the union, collapsed. The system was destroyed in Germany, where a republic reigned.

For the Russian Empire, participation in the Entente and the First World War ended in civil clashes and revolution, which led to the collapse of the empire.

England, France, Russia, Italy, the USA - were actively looking for allies in case of war. This eventually led to the formation of opposing military-political groups. Germany was the first to take this path. After the completion of the unification of the country and the formation of the German. In 1879, Germany signed an alliance treaty with Austria-Hungary. The treaty was clearly anti-Russian in nature. The first article stated that if one of the contracting parties was attacked from the outside, the rest were obliged to come to the aid of each other with all their armed forces and not make peace without mutual consent. At the same time, Article Two provided that if one of the contracting parties was attacked not by Russia, but by some other power, the parties were only obliged to maintain neutrality, and only if Russia intervened in the conflict would paragraph one of the treaty come into force. The contract, concluded at first for a period of 5 years, was then repeatedly extended. The Austro-German treaty was the first step towards the creation of a military bloc led by Germany. After Italy joined the treaty in 1882, the Tripartite Alliance was formed. Thus began the division of Europe into two warring camps, which was one of the main reasons for the future world war. After the formation of the Triple Alliance, the countries that opposed Germany began to formalize their military obligations. At the end of the 80s. 19th century there was a sharp aggravation of Franco-German relations, which forced France to seek ways of rapprochement with Russia. For its part, the Russian government was also interested in rapprochement with France and Europe. When in 1887 the threat of German aggression against France arose, she

turned to Russia with an appeal. German Chancellor Bismarck demanded from Russia guarantees of neutrality in the event of a war over disputed border territories between Germany and France. Russia refused, and Bismarck was forced to retreat. Further developments brought France even closer to Russia, as Germany increasingly tried to influence European conflicts. The tension between the countries grew more and more.

For example, the Russian-German contradictions led to the so-called "customs war". At the same time, the Tripartite Alliance again extended its agreements against Russia. There were even rumors of England joining it because of disputes with Russia over territories in the Middle East. Thus, the ground for the conclusion of the Russian-French agreement arose. The parties agreed to consult in case of danger and take joint measures in the event of a threat of attack from Germany and its allies. In the future, this agreement was supplemented by strictly defined military circumstances. According to the military convention, the parties pledged to act so that in the event of war Germany would have to fight both in the east and in the west. The final step in formalizing the Franco-Russian alliance was the ratification of the military convention in 1893. financial relations. The next step in the formation of the Entente was the signing of the Anglo-French agreement of 1904. By signing the agreement of 1904, the parties mutually recognized the rights of England in Egypt and France in Morocco, and did not rule out the annexation (i.e., complete seizure) of these territories . And finally, the Anglo-Russian agreement of 1907 was the final step in the unification of countries against the Triple Alliance and in the creation of the Entente (England, France, Russia). The tsarist government, weakened by the Russo-Japanese War and the revolution of 1905-1907, alarmed by the growth of German militarism, sought support from England. However, the negotiations were difficult and more than once were on the verge of collapse. The British side tried not to yield to Russia in dominance over the countries of the Middle East. The negotiations concerned Tibet, Afghanistan and Iran, where the Anglo-Russian contradictions were especially strong. The Anglo-Russian agreement of 1907 turned out to be the most important stage in the final formation of the Entente, which was called the Triple Entente - as opposed to the Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy).

By 1914, Europe was split into two major alliances, which included the six most powerful powers. Their confrontation escalated into a world war. Britain, France and Russia formed the Entente, while Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy united in the Triple Alliance. The split into alliances exacerbated the explosiveness and completely quarreled the countries.

The beginning of the formation of alliances

Having won a series of victories (1862-1871), the Prussian Chancellor Otto von Bismarck created a new German state, united from several small principalities. However, Bismarck feared that after the formation of the new state, neighboring countries, especially France and Austria-Hungary, would feel threatened and begin to take action to destroy Germany. Bismarck saw the creation of alliances as the only way out in order to stabilize and balance the forces on the geopolitical map of Europe. He believed that this could stop the inevitability of war for Germany.

dual union

Bismarck understood that France as an ally for Germany was lost. After the defeat of France in the Franco-Prussian War and the occupation of Alsace and Lorraine by Germany, the French treated the Germans sharply negatively. Britain, on the other hand, strove for dominance and actively prevented the formation of any alliances, fearing possible competition from their side.

Based on these circumstances, Bismarck decided to turn to Austria-Hungary and Russia. As a result, in 1873 they united in the Union of the Three Emperors, whose members guaranteed mutual support if hostilities suddenly began. Five years later, Russia decided to leave the union. The following year, the remaining members of the alliance formed the Dual Alliance and now began to consider Russia a threat. They agreed on military assistance should Russia attack either them or provide military support to anyone else.

Triple Alliance

In 1881, Italy joined the two countries participating in the alliance, and the Triple Alliance was formed, and France has now been added to the list of threats. Moreover, the alliance guaranteed that if any of its members was at war with two or more states, the alliance would come to the rescue.

Italy, being the weakest member of the alliance, insisted on the inclusion in the treaty of an additional clause that she had the right to withdraw from it if the Triple Alliance acted as an aggressor. Shortly thereafter, Italy signed a treaty with France, pledging its support in the event of a German attack on them.

"Reinsurance" agreement

Bismarck was frightened by the possibility of a war on two fronts, and this meant the settlement of relations either with France or with Russia. The Germans' relations with the French were badly damaged, so Bismarck's choice fell on the Russians. The Chancellor invited Russia to sign a "reinsurance agreement". Under the terms of this agreement, both parties were to remain neutral in the event of a war with a third country.

However, this agreement was valid only until 1890, then the German government canceled it, sending Bismarck to resign. Russia sought to keep the treaty in force, but Germany did not want this. This decision is considered the main mistake of Bismarck's successors.

Franco-Russian alliance

Bismarck's carefully crafted foreign policy began to crumble after his departure. In an effort to expand the German Empire, Kaiser Wilhelm II pursued a policy of aggressive militarization. The expansion and strengthening of the German fleet caused concern in England, France and Russia, which caused the rallying of these countries. Meanwhile, the new German government was not competent enough to maintain the alliance that had been created, and Germany soon faced the distrust and hostility of the European powers.

In 1892, Russia entered into an alliance with France within the framework of a secret convention. The terms of this alliance assumed mutual assistance in case of war, without imposing other restrictions. The Alliance was created in opposition to the Triple Alliance. Germany's departure from the political course laid down by Bismarck put her in a dangerous position. Now the empire faced the threat of war on two fronts.

The growing tension between the major powers of Europe made Britain think about the need to join one of the alliances. Britain did not support France in the Franco-Prussian War, but nevertheless the countries concluded the Entente Cordiale agreement between themselves in 1904. Three years later, a similar agreement appeared between Great Britain and Russia. In 1912, the Anglo-French Naval Convention made this bond even stronger. The Alliance is in effect.

World War

When the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife were assassinated in 1914, the reaction of Austria-Hungary was immediate. In the next few weeks, a full-scale war unfolded across Europe. The Entente fought with the Triple Alliance, which Italy soon left.

The parties to the conflict were sure that the war would be fleeting and end by Christmas 1914, but it lasted 4 long years, during which time the United States was also drawn into the conflict. During the entire period, it claimed the lives of 11 million soldiers and 7 million civilians. The war ended in 1919 with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles.