European diplomacy + changing balance of power after 1871

- Collapse of the Ottoman Empire - Imperial expansion in Africa and Asia, its impact on European diplomacy - The Congress of Berlin and European Alliance system

What did Bismarck seek after the unification of Germany?

• A series of alliances to maintain the status quo that was in Ger’s favour

What was the Dreikeiserbund (1873)?

• An alliance between the autocratic gov’s of ger, Aus-H & Rus

• These countries shared a common fear of Socialism + Republicanism

• Served Bismarck’s purpose to keep Fr isolated

Why did Bis want to keep Fr isolated?

• to prevent France from allying itself with either Austria-Hungary or Russia to create a coalition of enemies in both the east and the west

• Didnt want war on 2 sides

Why was the Ottoman empire in decline?

• Lost influence due to sieges across 1700s

• Really began to decline in 1800s due to political and economic issues

Political issues of Ottoman empire

• Sultans weak and ineffectual at responding to multi-ethnic political tensions within empire

• Rise in nationalism across multi-ethnic territories

Failed to redress rise of nationalism:

• Young Turks attempted political reforms but did not supress balkan nationalism- also caused internal unrest

• 1880s- tried to promote pan-islamism to appeal to arabs, but this antagonised christian slavs

• Serbia wants to be a ‘Greater Serbia’

Economic issues of Ottoman empire

• economy failing- had to sell assets like persian oil company to europeans

• this profited ottoman elites- this enraged turk nationalists

What was the European imperialist interest in Ottoman territory?

collapse of Ottoman empire caused a POWER VACCUM

• Br + Fr wanted ports for trade routes (strategic)

• Europeans had economic aims (1900 oil discovered in Persia)

• Brits wanted to secure Afghanistan which was close with the Ottoman empire- ‘gate way to India’- trade

• Rus wanted Constantinople + holy lands- cultural affinity (Palestine, jerusalem)

• Rus wanted balkans + san stefano to have access to warm sea (Mediterranean + black) for ship routes- current ports frozen

What was the eastern question?

The issue of how to sort out conflicts in the Balkans

Why was the Dreikeiserbund undermined?

Aus-H and Rus wanted to extend their lands in the Balkans

• Aus not happy about increased slav nationalism- worried it would influence disruption in own empire, threatened by Rus demands for independent slav state so close to own territories

• Rus had advantage of cultural affinity

How did Rus interference increase slav nationalism

In response to severe Turk reprisals- 10,000 bulgarians slaughtered, Rus came to aid

• Threatened Aus-H

Why was Bismarck concerned about the collapse of the dreikeiserbund?

• failure compelled ger to make a choice between east or west

• means that france would have a potential ally

What was the san stefano treaty and why was it so severe?

• Russians declared war on Turkey 1877

• Rus victorious- imposed severe treaty

• Reactions: hostile from Aus-h + Br, objected creation of a ‘Greater Bulgaria’- thought rus trying to get access to Mediterranean + more influence via ‘satellite states’

• severe because the creation of a greater bulgaria would mean taking away a lot of turk sovereignty in an already collapsing empire

pan-slavism

political ideology concerned with advancement of slav integrity

What was the western response to the san stefano treaty?

British fleets recalled + sent

• Rus faced with either war or revising san stefano treaty

Why was Rus forced to submit to Bismarck’s proposal at the Congress of Berlin

Unable to fight war against two major EU powers (Aus-H & Br)

Example of Ger trying to stay neutral

Bismarck’s mediation as an ‘honest broker’ (first used in congress of berlin) - wants to keep both opposing allies so fr is isolated

What was the congress of berlin and what were the outcomes? (Russia to Ottomans)

Congress of Berlin attempt to defuse Crisis made from harsh san stefano treaty- it was a revision of the treaty

• All countries happy except Russia

• Bulgaria split into 3, Aus-H couldnt annex Bosnia Herzegovina

• Serbia (+ others) recognised as independent states

• Brit power in Mediterranean hugely increased

• Slav nationalists bitter and resentful- feel isolated from Europe

• Bismarck succeeded in preventing a conflict but now in a potentially dangerous position with failed Dreikeiserbund members