Trench and camp. [volume] (Augusta, Ga.) 1917-1919, 1918-06-26


The presence OF pcWsreul and unIteE
empire az a neigabes was lonud muck
less pleasing tksn the presence Of Q
lcoseiy.heid-together confederation
Frsnt> bad reorganlzed her military
and n 1875 another Ffnaeo-GegMsn
war seemed imminent. With more Of
its Characteristic cunning, Germany
sought to learn from Russia whether
the semi-benevolent neutrality as that
Of 1901 might be depended upon.
But Russia was non eomnittal; and
her failure to give Germany the re-
quested assurances portended q
Franco Russian alliance.
The termination Of the Russo
Turkish War opened the eyes Of Rus
sia, which had expected the support
Of its allies in the Dreikaiserbund.
Bismarck, as president of the Con-
gregs Of Berlin, failed utterly to salts
fy Russia, which was looking for a
commercial outlet in the Aegean and
thence to the Orient. He announced
that he would refrain from taking
sides NTH any Of the contending par
ties and would conhne himself to play
Ing the part Of an honest broker"
Bismarck, scrupulous in his fulfil
ment of his promise to Austria, w.
nored the letter of his Imperial Mas
ter to the Gear Alexander II, and
Russia was compelled to make many
concessions and to find her victory
more dearly-bought even than she had
feared.
ENTER THE TRIPLE ALLIANCE
The Dreikaiserbund was no longer
possible and new alliance directed
against Russia was formed. This was
the so-called Triple Alliance with Ger
many, Austria Hungary and Italy as
the members.
Russia and France were thus thrown
closer together. The coalition was
greatly feared by Bismarck and he
made an effort to revive the Drci-
kaiserbund. This effort proved abor-
tive. In 1890 a secret treaty with
Russia that had been negotiated by
Bismarck was allowed to lapse be-
cause the Gar Alexander III knew
the duplicity.
The Triple Alliance represented SO
great coalition that France and Rus
STA found it necessary to come to-
gether. The Gear OF Russia had little
faith in tire Government OF France.
He knew, too, the smouidering hatred
of the French for the Germans and
hesitated to ally his government with
that OF the French because he felt that
the existence Of the alliance might in
duce France to provoke a war with
Germany The Alliance was eagerly
sought by the French but it was many
years before it was contaminated, and
when it was actually effected it did
not afford the Joy to the French peo-
pie that they had anticipated.
In i9o45 the Russo Japanese War
resulted in a tremendous drain on the
resources of Russia. The Triple ALI
ahce seemed to France to be too pow
erful coalition to be resisted only by
the Republic and an enfeeblcd ally
like Russia. So France looked toward
England and the so~called ENTENTE
CORDIALE was effected.
While France had been bulwarking
her position through her covenant
with England, Germany had noted
with eager interest the succession Of
disasters to Russian arms in Man
churia. One year before Germany
and England had exchanged many ex-
pressions of good will and King Ed
ward and Emperor William had Wis
tied eseh others domain. Germany
now assumed the aggressive
a.rIhe German Emperor landed at
ngier and is reported to have prom
4 his aid to The Moroccan Sultan III
listing Freneh control II was dur
Nh the same year that the Kaiser
N de his theatrical pilgrimage to the
A6fy Land. The idea of world dornin-
ion was becoming the ruling passion
of his life,
The Moroccan dispute assumed
large proportions and war between
France and Germany again seemed
imminent. A French Cabinet crisis
was precipitated but war was averted
Thus far the coalitions in Europe
that had been achieved were the Tri-
pie Alliance on the one hand; and
agreements with France and Russia
and with France and England, on the
other, Between England and Russia
there was no entente.
In 1907 an agreement between Eng
land and Russia was effected and in
1908 it was strengthened by visit of
King Edward to the Gear.
BALKANS ARE STORM CENTRE
The Triple Alliance and the Triple
Entente were calculated 20 preserve
the peace of Europe; but the seething
eauldron of the Balkans was stif1 to be
considered.
In 1908 the Young Turkish Revolu-
ton restored the Constitution and
turned the eyes of Europe toward the
smaller states and 10 the Ottomsn
Empire. 1t was felt that any changes
in Turkey would react upon the Bal
kan states, Europe did not have to
wait long. Prince Ferdinand of Bull
garia declared himself Gear on Octo-
Der and two days later the Emperor