a russian way :: Free Essay Writer

In 1890 there was the Triple federation which was an concord among Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy to help each other under certain circumstances. The Germans in like manner had a unfathomable Re-Insurance treaty with Russia to ensure that they never had to fight a war on two fronts. Neither France nor Britain were members of these agreements.In 1893 the Germans refused to renew the Re-Insurance Treaty with Russia, preferring closer links with Austria-Hungary.In 1894 Russia and France came together in an alliance endorse up by financial, industrial and military help. Germany now found herself skirt by potential enemies and having to face the real possibility of fighting a war on two fronts.Faced with this threat the German common Staff began to plan for a war against both France and Russia and this eventually became the Schlieffen protrude with its emphasis on speed and the need to invade neutral Belgium.France and Germany were jaundice enemies because of Frances defeat in the war of 1870-71 and the resulting loss of Alsace and Lorraine to Germany. Their bitterness was worsened by the actual defeat of 1870, the Siege of Paris and the German march take down the Champs Elysee.Britain was isolated in 1890. She had no allies or even friends on the continent. She had quarrelled with France over colonies in Africa and with Russia over a possible Russian threat to Persia and India.The Boer War of 1899-1902 showed how dangerous it was for Britain to have to friends on the continent. The Germans refused to sign an agreement with Britain and so Britain settled her differences with France in the Entente Cordiale of 1904This agreement was not an alliance tho simply an agreement not to quarrel any more(prenominal) slightly colonies in Africa and North America but growing tension with Germany in particular by and by two crises in Morocco in 1905 and 1911 led to a secret military agreement in 1909 and a secret military agreement in 1912. These agreements w hich were only known to very few senior members of the administration committed Britain to sending an army to France (BEF) in the event of war with Germany and after 1912 the Royal Navy agreed to defend Calais and the other French manoeuver ports from a German attack.In 1906 the new British super battleship, HMS Dreadnought, was launched. This had more and bigger guns than any other ship in the world and it was fast and better armoured as well.