HIS103Y1 Lecture 21: Bismarck's System
Post-1870 period in which Bismarck dominated European policy
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About 25 years : 1871 - 1894
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No permanent / lasting alliances
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Declaration of German Empire
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Prussia under Bismarck now has German Empire ruled by Prussians - what Bismarck
wanted
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New goal : maintain what he has created
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Ensure no liberal forces reshape government within German Empire to take power away from
Prussian Conservatives and Bismarck himself
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Wants stability in Austria-Hungary
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Ensure that the German Empire does not expand --> Bismarck's fear of war / collapse in
Austria-Hungary would cause Austrian Germans to join German Empire, cooperating
with Southern German states --> fundamentally / change German Empire to remove
Prussia as most important element of that empire
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Wish to reverse results, but couldn't do without an ally
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Hard to find --> due to Bismarck
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French remain bitter about treaty and loss of Alsace-Lorraine
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Fear Prussians due to defeat
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Work in partnership to avoid war
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Lost influence in Germany and Italy
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Try to exercise in Balkan Region
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Austrians
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Focused on territorial empire - mostly in India
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Period of 'splendid isolation'
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British
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Engaged with British on other side of world
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Focused on Europe and Balkan Region
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Autocratic power - loss in Crimea
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Emancipation of serfs of Russian - 1861
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Effort to industrialize Russia
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Russia has a responsibility for Slavs outside of Russia (namely in
Ottoman Empire)
Two way street : Slavs start to make Russian connection - argue that
they are part of larger Slavic Nation - ask for support
Growing voice of pan-Slav movement : small, but highly vocal part of
Russian government / emerging Russia press
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Need to change way society operates if going to continue to grow as a great power
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Bismarck fears French - Russian rapprochement to encircle Germans
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Russians
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Rebirth of Holy Alliance
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Conservative Holy Alliance
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Formation of 'first international grouping of socialists'
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Ensure nearby powers don't work with France - circle Germans
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Revolt in 1875 in Bosnia
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Russians and Austrians have disagreements in Ottoman Empire
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1873 Leagues of the 3 Emperors
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1870s : loose grouping
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Bismarck's System
February 6, 2017
7:36 PM
LECTURE Page 102
Revolt in 1875 in Bosnia
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Balkan Slavs cry out for Russian help
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Might endanger their multi-national empire
Austria-Hungary against Russian support for Slavs
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Austrians advise that they can advise Ottomans how to improve
government
Russians want to impose reforms on Ottomans
Ottomans : system cannot be reformed, any reform would cause the entire
empire to collapse
British : make clear they oppose any intervention in Ottoman Empire
States agree to conference to discuss - Eastern Question, continuing collapse of
Ottoman authority
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Bulgarians revolt and massacre Muslim civilians
Ottoman troops slaughter 8k Bulgarians
Catches public attention in Europe and in America
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British formerly supporting Ottomans step aside --> Russo-
Turkish War, Russian intervention in 1877-8
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Russians are not as strong as they wish - troops bogged down,
Russians will beat Ottoman Empire, but takes them so long, that
British public opinion changes --> by 1878 British public / press
forgot about Bulgarian horrors, and returned to traditional stance
of wanting to protect Ottomans
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British send fleet to Constantinople
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Ineffective / indecisive win for Russians
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Result of war goes to diplomatic congress / conference
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Russians had hoped if quick victory, build big pro-Russia
Bulgaria - now small Bulgaria, independent Serbia, and
independent Romania (Macedonia also becomes independent)
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Russians had intervened, come close enough to victory that they
thought they could solve Eastern question in their favour
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Bosnia : nominally part of Ottoman Empire, but occupied by
Austrians
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Eastern Question not solved
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News correspondents travel to Bulgaria in 1877 and 78 and write on
horrors
No solution in 1875 to this revolt --> spreads in Ottomans, reaches Bulgaria in
1877
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Independence / birth of new states
Austrians and Russians are extremely concerned
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'Balkans are not worth the healthy bones…' --> not worth one German
soldier to fight for
Russians being pulled by Pan-Slav movement to intervention
Tension between Austria and Russia
Loose alliances of 1870s are not secure
Why is the Eastern Question a problem?
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Extremely tight alliance that lasts for almost 40 years
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Only a tactical move - doesn't want this war
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Germans would help resist a Russian attack on Austro-Hungarians
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Prevents Russia from attacking Austria
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Dual Alliance between Germany and Austria-Hungary 1879
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Pressure on Austrians to agree to alliance with Russians
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Three Emperors Alliance : Germany, Austria, Russia
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LECTURE Page 103
Document Summary
Post-1870 period in which bismarck dominated european policy. Prussia under bismarck now has german empire ruled by prussians - what bismarck wanted. New goal : maintain what he has created. Ensure no liberal forces reshape government within german empire to take power away from. Ensure that the german empire does not expand --> bismarck"s fear of war / collapse in. Austria-hungary would cause austrian germans to join german empire, cooperating with southern german states --> fundamentally / change german empire to remove. Prussia as most important element of that empire. French remain bitter about treaty and loss of alsace-lorraine. Wish to reverse results, but couldn"t do without an ally. Focused on territorial empire - mostly in india. Engaged with british on other side of world. Need to change way society operates if going to continue to grow as a great power. Growing voice of pan-slav movement : small, but highly vocal part of.
