League of the Three Emperors - wikipedia League of the Three Emperors The Three Caesars ' Alliance or League of the Three Emperors ( German : Dreikaiserabkommen, Russian : Союз трёх императоров ) was an alliance between the German Empire, the Russian Empire and Austria - Hungary, from 1873 to 1887. Chancellor Otto von Bismarck took full charge of German foreign policy from 1870 to his dismissal in 1890. His goal was a peaceful Europe, based on the balance of power. Bismarck feared that a hostile combination of Austria, France and Russia would crush Germany. If two of them were allied, then the third would ally with Germany only if Germany conceded excessive demands. The solution was to ally with two of the three. In 1873 he formed the League of the Three Emperors, an alliance of the Kaiser of Germany, the Tsar of Russia, and the Kaiser of Austria - Hungary. Together they would control Eastern Europe, making sure that restive ethnic groups such as the Poles were kept in control. It aimed at neutralizing the rivalry between Germany 's two neighbors by an agreement over their respective spheres of influence in the Balkans and at isolating Germany 's enemy, France. The Balkans posed a more serious issue, and Bismarck 's solution was to give Austria predominance in the western areas, and Russia in the eastern areas. The first League of the Three Emperors was in effect from 1873 to 1875. A second one, formal and secret, was established June 18, 1881, and lasted for three years. It was renewed in 1884 but lapsed in 1887. Both alliances ended because of continued strong conflicts of interest between Austria - Hungary and Russia in the Balkans. The second treaty provided that no territorial changes should take place in the Balkans without prior agreement and that Austria could annex Bosnia and Herzegovina when it wished ; in the event of war between one party and a great power not party to the treaty, the other two parties were to maintain friendly neutrality. Bismarck was able temporarily to preserve the tie with Russia in the Reinsurance Treaty of 1887 ; but, after his dismissal, this treaty was not renewed, and a Franco - Russian alliance developed. Contents 1 Formation 1873 2 Background and policy 3 First dissolution 1878 4 Revival 1881 -- 1887 5 See also 6 Notes 7 Further reading Formation 1873 Bismarck On 22 October 1873, Bismarck negotiated an agreement between the monarchs of Austria -- Hungary, Russia and Germany. The alliance sought to resurrect the Holy Alliance of 1815 and act as a bulwark against radical sentiments the conservative rulers found unsettling. It was preceded by the Schönbrunn Convention signed by Russia and Austria -- Hungary on 6 June 1873. Background and policy Bismarck often led the League as it assessed challenges centered on maintaining the balance of power among the states involved and Europe at large. This cornerstone of his political philosophy included dedication to preserving the status quo and avoiding war. Despite German victory in the Franco - Prussian War of 1870 - 71, the violence remained fresh in the newly united state 's memory and made Germany reluctant to antagonize the French, but keen as ever to limit their power. According to the coalition, radical socialist bodies like the First International represented one of the other key threats to regional stability and dominance. For this reason, the League actively opposed the expansion of their influence. The League also met crisis in the East where Bulgarian unrest elicited violent reaction from the Ottoman forces there, which in turn met with horror from observing states. The account of the insurrection from an Englishman named Sir Edwin Pears both describes the atrocities in gruesome detail and reveals British surprise at their extent. First dissolution 1878 The collective initially disbanded in 1878 over territorial disputes in the Balkans as Austria - Hungary feared that Russian support for Serbia might ultimately ignite irredentist passions in its tenuously grasped Slav populations. Russian authorities likewise feared insurrection, should a Pan-Slavism movement gain too much clout. The body 's first conclusion in 1879 gave way to the defensive Dual Alliance between Austria - Hungary and Germany to counter potential Russian aggression. In 1882 Italy joined this agreement to form the Triple Alliance. Revival 1881 -- 1887 The 1878 Treaty of Berlin left Russia feeling cheated of her gains made in the Russo - Turkish War. Her key role in European diplomacy was not, however, forgotten by Bismarck. A more formal, officially documented The Three Emperors ' Alliance was concluded on 18 June 1881. It lasted for three years ; it was renewed in 1884 but lapsed in 1887. Both alliances ended because of conflicts of interest between Austria - Hungary and Russia in the Balkans. To preserve common understanding with Russia, Germany signed the mutual Reinsurance Treaty in 1887. See also International relations ( 1814 -- 1919 ) Notes Jump up ^ Raymond James Sontag, European Diplomatic History : 1871 -- 1932 ( 1933 ) pp. 3 -- 58 Jump up ^ `` Dreikaiserbund ''. Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2016. Web. 10 Feb. 2016 < https://www.britannica.com/event/Dreikaiserbund >. Jump up ^ Gildea 2003, p. 237. Jump up ^ Henig, Ruth Beatrice ( 2002 ). The Origins of the First World War. Routledge. p. 3. ISBN 0 - 415 - 26185 - 6. Jump up ^ Sir Edwin Pears, Forty Years in Constantinople, 1873 -- 1915, ( New York : D. Appleton and Co., 1916 ), pp. 16 -- 19, reprinted in Alfred J. Bannan and Achilles Edelenyi, eds., Documentary History of Eastern Europe, ( New York : Twayne Publishers, 1970 ), pp. 191 -- 94. found at ( 1 ), last visited June 24, 2011 ^ Jump up to : Gildea 2003, p. 240. Jump up ^ ( 2 ) Jump up ^ Text of the actual agreement, last visited June 24, 2011 Further reading Gildea, Robert ( 2003 ). Barricades and Borders : Europe 1800 -- 1914. Oxford University Press. p. 237. ISBN 0 - 19 - 925300 - 5. Goriainov, Serge. `` The End of the Alliance of the Emperors, '' The American Historical Review, ( 1918 ) 23 # 2 pp. 324 -- 29. in JSTOR. Langer, William. European Alliances and Alignments 1870 -- 1890 ( 2nd ed. 1950 ), pp. 197 -- 212 Meyendorff, A. `` Conversations of Gorkachov with Andrassy and Bismarck in 1872, '' The Slavonic and East European Review ( 1929 ) 8 # 23 pp. 400 -- 08. in JSTOR Schroeder, Paul W. `` Quantitative Studies in the Balance of Power : An Historian 's Reaction, '' The Journal of Conflict Resolution ( 1977 ) 21 # 1 pp. 3 -- 22. in JSTOR Taylor, A.J.P. The Struggle for Mastery in Europe 1848 -- 1918 ( 1954 ) Diplomacy of the Great Powers 1871 -- 1913 Great powers Austria -- Hungary France Germany Italy Japan Russia United Kingdom United States Alliances Triple Alliance Dual Alliance Triple Entente Franco - Russian Alliance Entente Cordiale Anglo - Russian Entente Anglo - Japanese Alliance Trends Ottoman Decline Eastern Question Revanchism New Imperialism Scramble for Africa Pan-Slavism The Great Game The Great Rapprochement Treaties and agreements Treaty of Frankfurt League of the Three Emperors Treaty of Berlin Reinsurance Treaty Treaty of Paris Treaty of Björkö Taft -- Katsura Agreement Japan -- Korea Treaty of 1905 Japan -- Korea Annexation Treaty Racconigi agreement Events Congress of Berlin Berlin Conference Weltpolitik German Naval Laws Anglo - German naval arms race Dreadnought Fashoda Incident Annexation of Hawaii First Moroccan Crisis Algeciras Conference Agadir Crisis Bosnian crisis Wars Russo - Turkish First Sino - Japanese Spanish -- American Banana Wars Philippine -- American Boxer Rebellion Second Boer Russo - Japanese Italo - Turkish Balkan Wars Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=League_of_the_Three_Emperors&oldid=804888973 '' Categories : 1873 in Austria - Hungary 1873 treaties 1873 in Germany 1873 in Russia 19th - century military alliances Treaties of Austria - Hungary Treaties of the German Empire Treaties of the Russian Empire Military alliances involving Austria - Hungary Military alliances involving the German Empire Military alliances involving Russia Austria - Hungary -- Germany relations Austria - Hungary -- Russia relations Germany -- Russia relations Hidden categories : Articles containing German - language text Articles containing Russian - language text Talk Contents About Wikipedia Беларуская Български Català Čeština Deutsch Eesti Ελληνικά Español فارسی Français 한국어 Հայերեն Italiano עברית ქართული Latina Lietuvių Magyar Македонски Nederlands 日本 語 Polski Português Română Русский Shqip Српски / srpski Suomi Svenska ไทย Türkçe Українська 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 11 October 2017, at 18 : 58. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: who created the three emperors' league in 1872
Answer: German Empire