League of the Three Emperors

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The League of the Three Emperors, also known as the Three Emperors' League (German: Dreikaiserbund), was an 1873 alliance among the emperors of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Russia, the three largest powers in Eastern and Central Europe at the time. It is widely considered to be a long-term cause of World War I and was intended to stand in opposition to increasingly liberal forms of government to the west. It was set into motion by the unification of Germany by Prussia after France's defeat in the Franco-Prussian War.

At the time, Germany was led by Emperor William I, German Emperor, Austria-Hungary by Emperor Franz Joseph, and Russia by Emperor Alexander II. These conservative leaders stood in contrast to the more liberal leaders of Western Europe, such as Prime Minister Albert, 4th duc de Broglie, of France and Queen-Empress Victoria of the United Kingdom.

Conservatives in the three countries were wary of the perceived threat of liberalism and so created a league of nations that would protect their more conservative forms of government. Although the league provided no formal alliances, it listed socialism, and more importantly republicanism, as the greatest evils — France was a republic at the time. The league was part of Otto von Bismarck's grand foreign policy plan to keep France isolated and keep both Austria-Hungary and Russia on his side.

The League of Three Emperors disintegrated as a result of Russia's dissatisfaction with the Congress of Berlin (1878). The League was resurrected in 1881 after Bismarck secretly persuaded Russia to rejoin, without Austria-Hungary's acknowledgment. Under pressure from Emperor William II, Bismarck was forced to resign as the German foreign minister in 1890 and was succeeded by Leo von Caprivi. The resignation was a result of Germany's shift away from Bismarck's conservative foreign policy.

That same year Caprivi rejected Russia's proposal to renew the conditions of the League of Three Emperors (the Reinsurance Treaty), much to the disappointment of the Russian Foreign Minister and a retired Bismarck. Russia, now isolated, would eventually seek an alliance with France to counter the threat of the Dual Alliance of Germany and Austria-Hungary.

Diplomacy of the Great Powers 1871-1913

Great Powers

Treaties and agreements