1 Bismarck and the Dreikaiserbund Jacob Carter Otto Von Bismarck, born in Prussia in 1815 to an aristocratic family, would go on to become one of the leading statesmen in Prussia and later unify Germany. He helped to define European politics for decades, and was a major player in keeping the general peace. Bismarck was known as a brash and bold individual who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. His rise to prominence began in 1850 when he became the Prussian minister to the Diet of German principalities that was formed after the fall of Napoleon in 1815. 1 He then rose to the position of Prime Minister of Prussia in 1862 under King William I where he would begin to follow his political ideals of realpolitik, seeking the eventual unification of the disparate German states. 2 Bismarck s political career spanned decades; he became a driving force of European politics and made Germany into a Great Power that rose to prominence on the European continent. His career can be broken into two time periods, in his early years he sought German unification under Prussia through realpolitik and his ideal of blood and iron. The second phase includes the time period after unification where, as Chancellor,he worked tirelessly to maintain a general peace on the European continent. One of his 1 Crankshaw, Edward. 1981. Bismarck. n.p.: New York : Viking Press, 1981, pg. 64-65 2 Abrams, Lynn. 2006. Bismarck and the German Empire, 1871-1918. n.p.: London ; New York: Routledge, 2006, pg. 26
2 greatest efforts toward this was his creation of the Dreikaiserbund, or Three Emperors League. This sought to form the three empires into one political union to avoid war, though their agreements were roughly defined in order to give leeway to settle their political differences. While Europe had its share of crises and minor conflicts, Bismarck s revolving alliance system and the Dreikaiserbund, helped to keep these conflicts from spreading into a large scale war. During his time as Prime Minister of Prussia, Bismarck s primary goal was the unification of Germany. Bismarck had read and was a believer in the ideologies of Carl Von Clausewitz, whose book On War remains one of the best treatises on war ever written. Clausewitz believed that war was a political tool; when used, it should be used swiftly and ended swiftly so that the war does not grow out of control of the politicians leading it. Bismarck adhered to these principles adamantly during the wars of German unification: The Danish War of 1864, the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, and the Franco- Prussian War of 1870. 3 Each of these wars served varying purposes; the Danish War gave joint Austrian and Prussian administrative control of the territories of Schleswig and Holstein. The Austro-Prussian War effectively removed Austrian influence from the German Confederation and led to the founding of the Prussian controlled North German Confederation. 4 The Franco-Prussian War allowed Prussia to forge the varied 3 Lauren, Paul Gordon, Gordon Alexander Craig, and Alexander L. George. 2007. Force and statecraft : diplomatic challenges of our time. n.p.: New York : Oxford University Press, 2007. Pg 32 4 Langer, William L. 1931. European alliances and alignments, 1871-1890. n.p.: New York, A.A. Knopf, 1931. Pg 4
3 principalities into a unified Germany; this war effectively ended French primacy on the continent, while also giving Germany the key territories of Alsace and Lorraine. 5 These mountainous regions gave Germany a key defensive position against future French aggression. After these short wars of unification Bismarck, now Chancellor of unified Germany, quickly changed his political standing. He switched the tone of his politics to show that Germany was a satisfied nation; Germany wanted no further territories on the continent nor could they justify any additional acquisitions. He sent letters to the foreign offices of all the Great Powers stating as such and worked to foster a closer relationship with the powers, with the exception of France, who still bristled over their defeat in 1870. He is quoted as saying to his foreign minister in Russia we do not pursue power politics, put safety politics. 6 Bismarck made himself the peacekeeper of Europe, forging a system of revolving alliances to keep the peace. His methods and political maneuverings were complex to say the least. Emperor William I was quoted as saying to Bismarck, I would not be in your shoes. You seem to me at times to be like a rider who juggles on horseback with five balls never letting one fall. 7 His goals were clear: to isolate the French and mitigate the animosity between the Austro-Hungarian and Russian Empires. The purpose of isolating the French was to prevent an attack on 5 Langer, William L. 1931. European alliances and alignments, 1871-1890. Pg 14. 6 Lauren, Paul Gordon, Gordon Alexander Craig, and Alexander L. George. 2007. Force and statecraft : diplomatic challenges of our time. Pg 33 7 Lauren, Paul Gordon, Gordon Alexander Craig, and Alexander L. George. 2007. Force and statecraft : diplomatic challenges of our time. Pg 34
4 Germany in retaliation for their humiliating defeat during the Franco-Prussian War. Bismarck also wanted to mitigate animosity between the Austro-Hungarian and Russian Empires over influence in the Balkan territories due to the decline of the Ottoman Empire. He achieved his goals by forming the Dreikaiserbund, a collection of agreements between the emperors of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Russia. What had begun as a meeting between Kaiser William I and Emperor Francis Joseph, as well as the Austrian foreign minister Count Andrassy in Berlin in 1872 became a meeting of all three emperors when Tsar Alexander II of Russia invited himself to the meeting with his foreign minister Prince Gorchakov. 8 This meeting, as well as several others, laid the foundation for the Dreikaiserbund. One such meeting in May of the same year, included Field Marshalls Berg of Russia and Moltke of Germany in which they made a formal agreement. If one country was attacked by a third party, the other would come to its aid with a force of two hundred thousand troops. 9 A third meeting between Andrassy and Gorchakov in June of 1972 at the Schonbrunn Convention led to a more general agreement between Austria-Hungary and Russia. This agreement allowed the two countries to mediate their respective differences and stated that if force would be necessary to resolve an issue it could be convened upon at that time. 10 These three 8 Langer, William L. 1931. European alliances and alignments, 1871-1890. Pg 20-21 9 Langer, William L. 1931. European alliances and alignments, 1871-1890. Pg 23 10 Langer, William L. 1931. European alliances and alignments, 1871-1890. Pg 24
5 meetings would lay the groundwork for the Dreikaiserbund, and allow the three Great Powers involved to settle disputes without the need of armed forcse against each other. Forging these agreements was not easy however; all three sides had varying political aims. Each side wanted to guarantee the security of their own nation, as well as support their foreign interests. Both Bismarck and Andrassay kept close ties with England at this time, while Gorchakov tried to maintain relations with France. This led to friction between all three parties. Germany was afraid of a possible attack from the French after the Franco-Prussian War, especially if it gained allies such as Austria- Hungary or Russia. The Austrians also feared an invasion of their territories by the Russians and Germans if they were to make a bilateral agreement. Therefore, the creation of the Dreikaiserbund was to assure each nation that they would maintain the peace. These agreements also meant that the members of the league would work together in subduing radical political elements amongst the three countries. The French Internationale was seen as a leader in sowing the ideals of these radical elements. Bismarck took special interest in making sure to curtail its influence in Europe throughout his time as Chancellor. The Dreikaiserbund was a collective force for maintaining the status quo of Europe. While these agreements did not collectively bind the nations in a broad military fashion, they did allow for the three nations to come together and settle their differences as well as provide a base of power for diplomatic solutions. The Dreikaiserbund was an
6 excellent example of the vaguely worded agreements amongst the Great Powers at this time. After the conflict against Napoleon, as well as the Crimean War, none of the Great Powers wanted war to break out on the continent. The first major test faced by the powers was the eastern crisis between the years of 1875-1878. The Ottoman Empire, acquired large debts fighting in the Crimean War, built a modern naval fleet, and engaged in reckless spending and investing by its rulers. This caused the Ottoman Empire to default on its loan payments to its creditors, mainly banks located in Britain and France; to combat this, the Ottomans raised taxes to try to cease its default. The rise in taxes caused uprisings to flare; the Balkan territories tried to rise up and split from the Ottoman Empire. Fearing the total collapse of the Ottoman Empire, which would have left control of the strategically important Bosporus Straits, and the city of Constantinople up in the air. The other Great Powers of Europe came together to reach a diplomatic solution to the crisis, and allowing for the continuation of the status quo. Andrassy drew up a proposal of an armistice between the Ottomans and the rebels, which was summarily declined by both sides. 11 After this, in May of 1876, Bismarck, Andrassy, and Gorchakov made a new series of proposals which would allow for a two month armistice and the Dreikaiserbund powers to use any other efficacious measures that they deemed necessary to keep the peace. These could include sanctions as well as 11 Macfie, A. L. 1996. The Eastern question, 1774-1923. n.p.: London ; New York : Longman, 1996. Pg 37
7 force. 12 The Russians sensed an opportunity to make territorial gains in the Balkans; they launched an attack against the Ottoman Empire, starting the Russo-Turkish War. This only worsened the crisis, bringing the Ottomans to the brink of total collapse. Seeing no other options the Ottomans signed the peace treaty of San Stefano ending the war. 13 This treaty was superseded by the Treaty of Berlin, signed in 1878, and named after the Congress of Berlin. Bismarck considered the Treaty of Berlin a way for the Great Powers of Europe to settle the crisis and maintain the status quo, of which the continued existence of the Ottoman Empire was a major component. After the events of the eastern crisis and the Russo-Turkish War the Dreikaiserbund was allowed to expire. This isolated Russia while Germany and Austira signed the Dual Alliance treaty, which was a more binding bilateral agreement than the ones that had been signed under the original Dreikaiserbund. The Dual Alliance treaty was designed to help curb future Russian ambitions in the region, helping to maintain the status quo. After several years Tsar Alexander II, feeling the pressures of isolation from both the treaty of Berlin and the dual Alliance Treaty, sought to reform the Dreikaiserbund. This played into Bismarck s plans, who had wanted to reinstate the league as a way to settle the eastern question diplomatically. The second Dreikaiserbund was instated in 1881, was renewed in 1884 and was dissolving permanently in 1888. 12 Macfie, A. L. 1996. The Eastern question, 1774-1923. Pg 37 13 Macfie, A. L. 1996. The Eastern question, 1774-1923. Pg 42
8 The impact of Bismarck on European politics cannot be denied. His role as peacekeeper and honest broker of the status quo helped to keep Europe from falling into a large scale war. His formation of the Dreikaiserbund allowed the three Great Powers of Central and Eastern Europe to meet and settle differences without the need for war. Without the agreements of the Dreikaiserbund it could have been a much more difficult affair to handle the eastern crisis and to curb the ambitions of Russia in the Balkans. In effect, the empires of the Dreikaiserbund were mostly successful in achieving their goals. For Germany, France remained isolated and unable to gain allies which prevented their ability to strike back at Germany. Alongside the improvement of relations between Austria-Hungary and Russia, they were able to settle their differences without having to go to war with each other over their respective Baltic ambitions.
9 Bibliography Abrams, Lynn. 2006. Bismarck and the German Empire, 1871-1918. n.p.: London ; New York : Routledge, 2006. Bismarck, Otto, Fürst von, and Arthur John Butler. 1899. Bismarck, the man & the statesman; being the reflections and reminiscences of Otto, prince von Bismarck. n.p.: New York, London, Harper & brothers, 1899. Clausewitz, Carl von, and Anatol Rapoport. 1982. On war. n.p.: Harmondsworth, Eng. ; New York, N.Y. : Penguin Books, 1982, c1968. Crankshaw, Edward. 1981. Bismarck. n.p.: New York : Viking Press, 1981. Gauld, William A. 1925. "The 'Dreikaiserbündnis' and the Eastern Question, 1871-6." The English Historical Review, 1925. 207.JSTOR Journals, EBSCOhost (accessed April 2, 2016). Jelavich, Charles, and Barbara Jelavich. 1957. "Bismarck's Proposal for the Revival of the Dreikaiserbund in October 1878." The Journal of Modern History, 1957. 99. JSTOR Journals, EBSCOhost (accessed April 2, 2016). Langer, William L. 1931. European alliances and alignments, 1871-1890. n.p.: New York, A.A. Knopf, 1931. Lauren, Paul Gordon, Gordon Alexander Craig, and Alexander L. George. 2007. Force and statecraft : diplomatic challenges of our time. n.p.: New York : Oxford University Press, 2007. Macfie, A. L. 1996. The Eastern question, 1774-1923. n.p.: London ; New York : Longman, 1996. Stone, James. "Bismarck and the Great Game: Germany and Anglo-Russian Rivalry in Central Asia, 1871 1890." Central European History (Cambridge University Press / UK) 48, no. 2 (June 2015): 151. MasterFILE Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed April 2, 2016). I pledge that I have neither given nor received any unauthorized aid on this assignment. Pledge