European Alliances and the Outbreak of WWI
European Alliances and the Outbreak of World War I
From the end of the Franco-Prussian War, a system of secret alliances developed in Europe. This split the continent into two hostile sides. Many different powers were involved in mutual defense agreements. So, when the war happened, it involved many European countries. Because of the alliances, some powers were forced to support policies followed by their partners, which they didn’t really like. Moreover, the secret alliances led to suspicion and the belief that more secret agreements existed (and they often did). By 1914, all the major powers were linked by a system of alliances. These alliances made war more likely to spread. Once the war started, these alliances spread it all over the continent.
The Most Significant Alliances Before 1914:
- The Dual Alliance (1879): Germany and Austria-Hungary protected themselves from Russia.
- The Triple Alliance (1882): Germany and Austria-Hungary made an alliance with Italy.
- Franco-Russian Alliance (1894): Russia formed an alliance with France to protect herself against Germany and Austria-Hungary.
- The Entente Cordiale (1904): An agreement, but not a formal alliance, between France and Britain.
- Anglo-Russian Entente (1907): An agreement between Britain and Russia.
- The Triple Entente (1907): Russia, France, and Britain agreed to counter the increasing threat from Germany.
- Triple Entente (No Separate Peace, 1914): Britain, Russia, and France agreed not to sign for peace separately in a war against Germany and Austria-Hungary.
Key Events Leading to War:
Austria-Hungary had given Serbia an ultimatum. Serbia’s response did not satisfy Austria-Hungary, and it declared war on Serbia on July 28th, 1914.
Russia, because of a treaty with Serbia, her ally, started a general mobilization of its enormous army.
Germany, allied to Austria-Hungary, viewed the Russian mobilization as the beginning of a war against Austria-Hungary and declared war on Russia on August 1st.
France went to war against Germany and Austria-Hungary after the German declaration on August 3rd. Germany invaded neutral Belgium, following her ‘Schlieffen Plan’ to avoid French defenses.
Britain was obliged to defend neutral Belgium by an old treaty. The Belgian king appealed to Britain for assistance on August 4th. Britain was also allied to France in a more general treaty. Britain was at war against Germany, and, by extension, to Austria-Hungary on August 4th.
All the British colonies and ‘dominions’ entered the war, including Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, and the Union of South Africa.
Japan, which had a military agreement with Britain, declared war on Germany on August 23rd, 1914. On August 25th, Austria-Hungary also declared war on Japan.
Italy, allied to Germany and Austria-Hungary, avoided entering the war thanks to a clause in a treaty. Italy was committed to a defensive war and argued that the war was offensive and declared her neutrality. In May 1915, Italy joined the war on the Allies’ side against her former allies, Germany and Austria-Hungary.
The United States declared absolute neutrality. President Woodrow Wilson defended his position until 1917, when Germany’s policy of submarine warfare involved America’s commercial shipping towards Britain and France. This forced the U.S.A. to enter the war on April 6th, 1917.