Bismarckian System & “Sick Man of Europe”

1. Bismarckian System & “Sick Man of Europe” Apparently Biz Knew What He Was Doing After All

2. Bismarckian System • Unified Germany upset Metternich’s system (balance of power) • Bismarck feared French retaliation (as a result of the Franco-Prussian War—Alsace-Lorraine) • 1873: Bismarck created the Three Emperors League (A-H, Russia, & Germany)

4. Bismarckian System-Problem in the Balkans • Both Russia and Austria wanted • Russia: Balkans provided shortest land route to Constantinople and the Straits • Austria: area was fertile ground for expansion

6. Bismarckian System-Problem in the Balkans • 1876: Serbia and Montenegro declared war on the Ottomans • Both were defeated • Russia (with approval from Austria) attacked and defeated the Ottomans • 1878-Treaty of San Stefano: created large Bulgarian state-and viewed as a Russian satellite

8. Bismarckian System-Problem in the Balkans • Congress of Berlin (1878): • Dominated by Bismarck • destroyed the Treaty of San Stefano • Bulgarian State was reduced-returning some territory to the Ottomans • Serbia, Montenegro, and Romania were now independent • Bosnia and Herzegovina were placed under Austrian protection (Austria could occupy but not annex)

10. Bismarckian System-Problem in the Balkans • New alliances were established: • Russians ended the Three Emperors League (angered by the Congress of Berlin) • Bismarck made an alliance with Austria (1879) & Italy joined in 1882 (known as the Triple Alliance) • Bismarck made a Reinsurance Treaty with Russia (1887)—wanted to prevent a Franco-Russian alliance • 1890: Bismarck dismissed

12. Bismarckian System-Problem in the Balkans • Wilhelm II: • Dropped the Reinsurance Treaty • This brought France and Russia together • British: • Pursued a “splendid isolation” of continental affairs • Many European countries condemned the Boer War • Feared that the continent would turn on them

13. Bismarckian System-Problem in the Balkans • British: • Needed a continental ally • French and Russians were not logical choice • Germans seemed like a “natural ally” (similar heritage---Anglo-Saxons) • However the Germans were Industrial rivals • Germans had a growing navy • 1904: British France created the Entente Cordiale

15. Bismarckian System-Problem in the Balkans • German response: First Moroccan Crisis-1905 • Attempted to drive a wedge b/w England and France • Only brought the allies (France England, Russia) together against Germany

17. Bismarckian System-Problem in the Balkans • By 1907 two major blocs • Triple Alliance • Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy • Triple Entente • Russia, France, Great Britain

19. Crises in the Balkans (1908-1913) • 1878: Bosnia & Herzegovina were under the protection of Austria • 1908: Austria annexed the 2 Slavic territories • Serbia is mad, they wanted to create a large Serbian kingdom

21. Crises in the Balkans (1908-1913) • A-H annexed the 2 areas b/c the Empire felt threatened by the large Slavic population (nationalism) • Russians: felt as if they were the protectors of the Slavic population & supported them against the Austrians

22. Crises in the Balkans (1908-1913) • Serbs prepared for war • Wilhelm II intervened, told the Russians to accept the annexation or face war with Germany • Russians backed down-promised revenge

23. Crises in the Balkans (1908-1913) • 1912: Serbia Bulgaria, Montenegro, and Greece organized the Balkan League • Defeated the Ottoman Empire • Allies fought over the newly acquired lands of Albania and Macedonia

24. X

25. Crises in the Balkans (1908-1913) • 1913: Second Balkan War • Greece, Serbia, Romania, & the Ottoman Empire attacked and defeated Bulgaria • As a result, most of Macedonia was divided b/w Serbia and Greece

26. X

27. Crises in the Balkans (1908-1913) • Serbia was still unhappy • At end of the 2 wars Austria organized the London Conference: Austria created an independent Albania (Germans supported the Austrians) • (Serbs) Desired the Albanian territory—this would give them a port on the Adriatic • Serbian nationalism grew (portraying the Austrians as evil) • Russians vowed to support the Serbs, and not back down to A-H & Germany again

28. Sum It Up In 3 Bullets