Prelude:
CHAPTER I:
A New World Born In A Dead Treaty's Womb
1887:
1887 a year of vast importance as the league of three emperor's now hung in the balance as the treaty was ready to lapse if not revised in accordance with all parties wishes and in the attempt to save it, the world takes a step in a direction where none were certain how it could shift the ground under the powers feet. For in this moment the great Iron Chancellor Otto Von Bismarck marched in worry, looking to plead his case to the Kaiser and as the doors swung open for his audience a battle for Germany's fate begun. One of such a scope not even Bismarck realised just how much it mattered. Bismarck and the Kaiser would argue for up to an hour eventually however, the Kaiser relented as one of the servants having reported it was only after Bismarck Asked, "what happens if Russia turns to France your majesty? a two-front war with the bear is one we are unlikely to win and I am confident that Vienna will see the error in their ways if they oppose any changes"(1). This statement stands as both true but also would fall into the list of what few miscalculations Bismarck has made . However, now in consensus the wheels were set into motion as Bismarck utilised both back and official channels offering Russia what they so craved. For Russia had been promised that in case of ottoman collapse they would be permitted a free hand in their border territories of the Balkans and caucuses, however any incursion into the Balkans would mean that Vienna had to be notified beforehand with any such expansion having to result in some some form of compensation provided to Vienna though the same also applied to them in return. this was along with free use of black sea fleet without restriction and economic guarantees with the sale of Russian goods such as grain within Germany. the Reason for such concessions was the belief that by obtaining Russian support would guarantee Germany's station in Europe with such measures as it would save the alliance as any protest by Vienna would be eventually be browbeaten by the other two. This was however, a miscalculation larger than any other previously made by the Chancellor as upon Gathering for the conference in Vienna and hearing the proposed rectifications to the league's treaty Franz Joseph and the whole imperial government had only one answer "NO!" In their eyes this was no better then total surrender of the Balkans to Russia a summary which does to certain degree's hold water. This only amplified by the belief that in their eyes the Balkans was solely their sphere of influence and they had no intention of letting it slip by. All of this resulting in the simple refusal to sign the revised treaty with Franz joseph stating, "we shall not stand in the bears shadow nor abide by our supposed brother in arms Germany's cowardice towards them". in this stubborn refusal where no matter how, they attempted to browbeat or persuade they would not budge. With many including Otto Von Bismarck himself believing this was death to the treaty and league of emperors as a result, with failure of the treaty killing of his hope of a 2 of three policy and the Blame lays squarely at his feet. In the quickly unravelling disaster, The Kaiser and chancellor met with the small hope that they could possibly find some solution to the problem mounting in front of them as Austria attempted to pressure for the original treaty sensing Germany’s current panic. However, in the fallout a gap opened and one that desperately needed to be filled if Germany wanted to maintain a stronger position within the European balance and help keep Russia from obtaining the dominant position in any continuation of the alliance.
So, came Italy. While believed to be one of the weaker powers a notion which held many truths yet it was also one of the few powers that did not hold any real problem with German and Russian expansionism for the time being and boasted an ally Spain through savoy rule though rather rocky as an unstable country however, the potential was there (2). It was also already in the triple alliance which meant much of the framework was already there and with no great love for Austria it made the perfect candidate. A candidate who caught both the Germans and Russians by surprise when Italy contacted both of them through back channels. It seems that in the chaos of negotiations Italy picked up on the crumbling alliance and sought to position itself favourably with the newly developing block. Bismarck seeing the potential would send the invite to join negotiations passing off as a merger of the triple alliance and league, Austria however, was not amused seeing this as another insult and attempt to pressure Austria-Hungary into signing and as such abandoning the talks. this led them to become strained within the triple alliance and especially with Italy, so they practically cut ties with both. not long after however Italy would sign the treaty and officially join the league effectively merging the triple alliance and league. While Austria-Hungary is left all alone at least in practice but not quite yet on paper for they were still officially apart of the triple alliance. so begun the League and
One such historian would recount. "The German move too support Italy joining the league proved too be the decisive move that propagated the long lasting nature of the alliance block which would shape the future of all Europe and arguably the globe as all following alliance system formed not out of mutual trust and respect like the league but out of fear of the new league."
1888:
This year would be noted for the many great shifts that were taking place within the German empire as it would see the transfer of multiple Kaisers in the supposed year of three Kaisers. Starting with the death of Kaiser Wilhelm the I and the succession of Fredrick the III, a very liberal man who pushed for greater ties with Britain and a policy of reconciliation with Austria. This was to the dismay of Bismarck as it could jeopardise relations with Russia though this would worry did not last long as Fredrick would succumb to cancer leading to then crown prince Wilhelm the II rushing back from a trip to Italy to fill the throne. With the quick span of successions coming to an end with the rise of Wilhelm II. This Wilhelm, however, would hold a much more conservative view and more pro-Russian and Italian stance in terms of diplomacy. This in turn played well with Bismarck though he would quickly find the new young Kaiser would hold a more tilted and eccentric view than he would particularly want. For Wilhelm had grown to become a large believer in pan Germanism as observed with Italy’s unification wars and had also grown to hold a potent bitterness toward Britain, likely rooted in certain level of Anglophobia developed out of his damaged arm and reaction to his parents overwhelming Anglophilia and only fanned by Bismarck in attempt to align the then prince with his own political sphere. The Kaisers views would become very representative of the national psyche of Germany with its broad feeling of inferiority in relation to the domineering powers of the west and their vast empires leading to the simple conclusion that Germany also required its place in the sun.
Pods: