I saw this in the "Alternative WWI Alliances" thread and this particular idea interested me enough to make a thread about it. After doing a bit of searching on this, I think I found only one thread about this, but it's been quite a while since it was created so I wanted to revive this idea here.
I think I can imagine a few ways with which this could happen:
-If Russia and Germany are already allied from the start and opposing Britain initially, then maybe Britain would be forced to support them in the interests of balance?
-Franco-Austrian War doesn't happen and Austria becomes slightly stronger. France and Austria become allies. Following this, Germany allies with Russia against Austria and a failure of the Anglo-French detente could lead to an Anglo-German alliance, ultimately creating a Triple Entente with Russia, Germany and Britain.
-Bismarck stays in charge of foreign policies.
-Maybe Francis Joseph dies early while Rudolph does not commit suicide, then Austria-Hungary under him might align itself with France? Colonial affairs with France and Britain become more hostile and forces Britain to tend to the German-Russian side over the Franco-Austrian side. War happens earlier, maybe in the 1890s or 1900s, because the colonial conflicts during that time were still fresh, and this would be before the populations in Germany and Austria can do something about the diplomatic hostilities between their countries by pressuring their governments.
Obviously this would butterfly away the OTL war, but what would a war with this alliance look like? What would be another way with which this could happen? What would be of America, Italy or other OTL Allied Powers?
(also, would this be more appropriate in 'After 1900' or 'Before 1900'?)