 the reinsurance treaty of june 18, 1887 was an attempt by german chancellor otto von bismarck to continue to ally with russia after the league of the three emperors had broken down in the aftermath of the 1885 serbo-bulgarian war. facing the competition between russia and austriaâhungary on the balkans, bismarck felt that this agreement was essential to prevent a russian convergence toward france and to continue the diplomatic isolation of the french so ensuring german security against a threatening two-front war. he thereby hazarded the expansion of the russian sphere of influence toward the mediterranean and diplomatic tensions with vienna. the secret treaty signed by bismarck and the russian foreign minister nikolay girs was split in two parts: #germany and russia both agreed to observe benevolent neutrality should the other be involved in a war with a third country. should germany attack france or russia attack austria-hungary, the other would refrain from interference (thus further isolating france). #in the most secret completion protocol germany declared herself neutral in the event of a russian intervention in the bosphorus and the dardanelles. as part of bismarck's system of "periphery diversion" the treaty was highly dependent on his personal reputation. after the dismissal of bismarck, his successor leo von caprivi felt unable to obtain success in keeping this policy, while the german foreign office under friedrich von holstein had already prepared a renunciation toward the dual alliance with austriaâhungary. when in 1890 russia asked for a renewal of the treaty, germany refused persistently. kaiser wilhelm ii believed his own personal relationship with tsar alexander iii would be sufficient to ensure further genial diplomatic ties and felt that maintaining a close bond with russia would act to the detriment of his aims to attract britain into the german sphere. like the ongoing austro-russian conflict, the anglo-russian relations too were strained at this point due to the gaining influence of russia in the balkans and their aims to open up the straits of the dardanelles which would threaten british colonial interests in the middle east. however, having become alarmed at its growing isolation, saint petersburg, as bismarck had feared, entered into the franco-russian alliance in 1892 thus bringing to an end the french isolation. according to professor bury, the dismissal of chancellor bismarck, the erratic temper of emperor william ii, and the uncertain policy of the men who succeeded bismarck (partly out of consideration for england they failed to renew the reinsurance treaty with russia but did re
1887_in_Germany Foreign_relations_of_the_German_Empire GermanyaRussia_relations Otto_von_Bismarck Politics_of_the_Russian_Empire Reinsurance Secret_treaties Treaties_of_the_German_Empire Treaties_of_the_Russian_Empire World_War_I_treaties