Why Did Countries Make Friendships Before World War I?

A long time ago, in 1882, Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy became friends and made the Triple Alliance. Germany’s leader, Otto von Bismarck, also made a secret agreement called the Reinsurance Treaty with Russia to keep peace between them.

But after 1890, new German leaders ended the treaty with Russia. Instead, Russia became friends with France in 1892. This made Europe split into two big groups: the Triple Alliance on one side and France and Russia on the other.

Germany wanted to show it was powerful and often acted tough toward France, especially in the years 1905 and 1911. Germany was ready to fight a war on two sides — one against France in the west and one against Russia in the east. This plan was called the Two-Front War.

By the early 1900s, if a war started between Austria-Hungary and Russia, it was very likely that Germany and France would join the fight. Germany also became friends with the Ottoman Empire (modern-day Turkey), which worried Russia because Russia’s grain was shipped through the Black Sea and the Straits controlled by the Ottomans.

Russia started building new railways to move its huge army faster to the battlefields in Eastern Europe.

At this time, Great Britain wasn’t very worried about Europe. Britain mostly had problems with France and Russia over lands in Africa and Asia. Britain and Germany got along mostly okay but sometimes argued.

At the start of the 20th century, Britain made an alliance with Japan to protect its interests in Asia. Then in 1904, Britain and France signed the Entente Cordiale, an agreement to settle arguments over colonies in Africa — France would control Morocco and Britain would control Egypt.

Germany didn’t like this. In 1905, Germany challenged France over Morocco, which made Britain and France even closer friends. This friendship became called the Entente.

Britain started to worry that if Germany kept growing stronger, it might take over Europe. So secretly, Britain and France made plans to help each other if Germany tried to invade through Belgium.