Two questions - If in 1875 or 1876, Germany offered to Russia the defensive alliance terms it later offered to Austria in 1879, would the Russians have accepted at that time? Why or why not?
What if after the Berlin Conference, at which Russia got upset about Germany, Germany chose not to form an alliance with Austria in 1879. Instead it lays low and quietly initiates discussions about a defensive alliance in 1880, including a proviso about never opposing Russian claims on Ottoman territory in the future, would the Russians have accepted? Why or why not?