League of the Three Emperors
Encyclopedia
The League of the Three Emperors was an unstable alliance between Tsar Alexander II
of Russia
, Emperor Franz Joseph I
of Austria-Hungary
and Kaiser Wilhelm I
of Germany
.
negotiated an agreement between the monarchs of Austria–Hungary, Russia
and Germany
. The alliance sought to resurrect the Holy Alliance
of 1815 and act as a bulwark against radical sentiments the conservative rulers found unsettling. It was preceded by the Schönbrunn
Convention signed by Russia and Austria–Hungary on 6 June 1873.
among the states involved and Europe at large. This cornerstone of his political philosophy included dedication to preserving the status quo and avoiding war. Despite German victory in the Franco-Prussian War
of 1870-71, the violence remained fresh in the newly united state’s memory and made Germany reluctant to antagonize the French, but keen as ever to limit their power. According to the coalition, radical socialist bodies like the First International represented one of the other key threats to regional stability and dominance. For this reason, the League actively opposed the expansion of their influence. The League also met crisis in the East where Bulgarian
unrest elicited violent reaction from the Ottoman
forces there, which in turn met with horror from observing states. The account of the insurrection from an Englishman named Sir Edwin Pears both describes the atrocities in gruesome detail and reveals British surprise at their extent.
as Austria-Hungary feared that Russian support for Serbia might ultimately ignite irredentist passions in its tenuously grasped Slav populations. Russian authorities likewise feared insurrection, should a Pan-Slavism
movement gain too much clout. The body’s first conclusion in 1879 gave way to the defensive Dual Alliance
between Austria-Hungary and Germany to counter potential Russian aggression. In 1882 Italy joined this agreement to form the Triple Alliance
http://germanhistorydocs.ghi-dc.org/sub_document.cfm?document_id=1860.
It lasted for three years; it was renewed in 1884 but lapsed in 1887. Both alliances ended because of conflicts of interest between Austria-Hungary and Russia in the Balkans.
Alexander II of Russia
Alexander II , also known as Alexander the Liberator was the Emperor of the Russian Empire from 3 March 1855 until his assassination in 1881...
of Russia
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
, Emperor Franz Joseph I
Franz Joseph I of Austria
Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I was Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia, King of Croatia, Apostolic King of Hungary, King of Galicia and Lodomeria and Grand Duke of Cracow from 1848 until his death in 1916.In the December of 1848, Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria abdicated the throne as part of...
of Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
and Kaiser Wilhelm I
William I, German Emperor
William I, also known as Wilhelm I , of the House of Hohenzollern was the King of Prussia and the first German Emperor .Under the leadership of William and his Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, Prussia achieved the unification of Germany and the...
of Germany
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
.
Formation 1873
On 22 October 1873, German Chancellor Otto von BismarckOtto von Bismarck
Otto Eduard Leopold, Prince of Bismarck, Duke of Lauenburg , simply known as Otto von Bismarck, was a Prussian-German statesman whose actions unified Germany, made it a major player in world affairs, and created a balance of power that kept Europe at peace after 1871.As Minister President of...
negotiated an agreement between the monarchs of Austria–Hungary, Russia
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
and Germany
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
. The alliance sought to resurrect the Holy Alliance
Holy Alliance
The Holy Alliance was a coalition of Russia, Austria and Prussia created in 1815 at the behest of Czar Alexander I of Russia, signed by the three powers in Paris on September 26, 1815, in the Congress of Vienna after the defeat of Napoleon.Ostensibly it was to instill the Christian values of...
of 1815 and act as a bulwark against radical sentiments the conservative rulers found unsettling. It was preceded by the Schönbrunn
Schönbrunn Palace
Schönbrunn Palace is a former imperial 1,441-room Rococo summer residence in Vienna, Austria. One of the most important cultural monuments in the country, since the 1960s it has been one of the major tourist attractions in Vienna...
Convention signed by Russia and Austria–Hungary on 6 June 1873.
Background and policy
Bismarck often led the League as it assessed challenges centered on maintaining the balance of powerBalance of power in international relations
In international relations, a balance of power exists when there is parity or stability between competing forces. The concept describes a state of affairs in the international system and explains the behavior of states in that system...
among the states involved and Europe at large. This cornerstone of his political philosophy included dedication to preserving the status quo and avoiding war. Despite German victory in the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
of 1870-71, the violence remained fresh in the newly united state’s memory and made Germany reluctant to antagonize the French, but keen as ever to limit their power. According to the coalition, radical socialist bodies like the First International represented one of the other key threats to regional stability and dominance. For this reason, the League actively opposed the expansion of their influence. The League also met crisis in the East where Bulgarian
Principality of Bulgaria
The Principality of Bulgaria was a self-governing entity created as a vassal of the Ottoman Empire by the Treaty of Berlin in 1878. The preliminary treaty of San Stefano between the Russian Empire and the Porte , on March 3, had originally proposed a significantly larger Bulgarian territory: its...
unrest elicited violent reaction from the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
forces there, which in turn met with horror from observing states. The account of the insurrection from an Englishman named Sir Edwin Pears both describes the atrocities in gruesome detail and reveals British surprise at their extent.
First dissolution 1878
The collective initially disbanded in 1875 over territorial disputes in the BalkansBalkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
as Austria-Hungary feared that Russian support for Serbia might ultimately ignite irredentist passions in its tenuously grasped Slav populations. Russian authorities likewise feared insurrection, should a Pan-Slavism
Pan-Slavism
Pan-Slavism was a movement in the mid-19th century aimed at unity of all the Slavic peoples. The main focus was in the Balkans where the South Slavs had been ruled for centuries by other empires, Byzantine Empire, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Venice...
movement gain too much clout. The body’s first conclusion in 1879 gave way to the defensive Dual Alliance
Dual Alliance, 1879
The Dual Alliance was a defensive alliance between Germany and Austria-Hungary, which was created by treaty on October 7, 1879 as part of Bismarck's system of alliances to prevent/limit war. In it, Germany and Austria-Hungary pledged to aid one another in case of an attack by Russia...
between Austria-Hungary and Germany to counter potential Russian aggression. In 1882 Italy joined this agreement to form the Triple Alliance
Triple Alliance
Triple Alliance may refer to:* Aztec Triple Alliance - Tenochtitlan, Texcoco and Tlacopan; better known as the Aztec Empire* Triple Alliance - England, France and the Dutch Republic...
http://germanhistorydocs.ghi-dc.org/sub_document.cfm?document_id=1860.
Revival 1881-1887
The 1878 Treaty of Berlin left Russia feeling cheated of her gains made in the Russo-Turkish War. Her key role in European diplomacy was not, however, forgotten by Bismarck. A more formal, officially documented League of the Three Emperors was concluded on 18 June 1881 .It lasted for three years; it was renewed in 1884 but lapsed in 1887. Both alliances ended because of conflicts of interest between Austria-Hungary and Russia in the Balkans.
External links
- http://www.jstor.org/stable/2009888?&Search=yes&term=elrod&term=b.&term=richard&list=hide&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Drichard%2Bb.%2Belrod%26gw%3Djtx%26prq%3Dserge%2Bgoriainov%26Search%3DSearch%26hp%3D25%26wc%3Don&item=5&ttl=1062&returnArticleService=showArticleRichard B. Elrod, "The Concert of Europe: The Fresh Look at an International System," World Politics, 28, no. 2(1976): 159-174. JSTOR].
- http://www.jstor.org/stable/1836570?&Search=yes&term=serge&term=goriainov&list=hide&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dserge%2Bgoriainov%26gw%3Djtx%26prq%3Dquantitative%2Bstudies%2Bin%2Bthe%2Bbalance%2Bof%2Bpower%2B%2Ban%2Bhistorian%2527s%2Breaction%26Search%3DSearch%26hp%3D25%26wc%3Don&item=1&ttl=18&returnArticleService=showArticleSerge Goriainov, "The End of the Alliance of the Emperors," The American Historical Review, 23 no. 2 (1918): 324-329. JSTOR].
- http://www.jstor.org/stable/173680?&Search=yes&term=reaction&term=balance&term=power&term=quantitative&term=studies&term=historian%27s&list=hide&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dquantitative%2Bstudies%2Bin%2Bthe%2Bbalance%2Bof%2Bpower%253A%2Ban%2Bhistorian%2527s%2Breaction%26gw%3Djtx%26prq%3Dquantitative%2Bstudies%2Bin%2Bthe%2Bbalance%2Bof%2Bpower%26Search%3DSearch%26hp%3D25%26wc%3Don&item=1&ttl=316&returnArticleService=showArticlePaul W. Schroeder, "Quantitative Studies in the Balance of Power: An Historian's Reaction," The Journal of Conflict Resolution 21, no. 1 (1977): 3-22. JSTOR].
- A. Meyendorff, "Conversations of Gorkachov with Andrassy and Bismarck in 1872," The Slavonic and East European Review 8, no. 23 (1929): 400-408. JSTOR.
- http://www.jstor.org/stable/2111123?&Search=yes&term=balance&term=bismarck&term=power&list=hide&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicResults%3Fhp%3D25%26la%3D%26wc%3Don%26gw%3Djtx%26jcpsi%3D1%26artsi%3D1%26Query%3Dbismarck%2Bbalance%2Bof%2Bpower%26sbq%3Dbismarck%2Bbalance%2Bof%2Bpower%26prq%3Dthree%2Bemperors%2527%2Bleague%26si%3D51%26jtxsi%3D51&item=58&ttl=3423&returnArticleService=showArticleWilliam Brian Moul, "Balances of Power and the Escalation to War of Serious Disputes among the Great Europeans, 1815-1939: Some Evidence," American Journal of Political Science 32, no. 2 (1988): 241-275. JSTOR].