The Triple Entente was the alliance linking the Russian Empire, the French Third Republic,
and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland after the signing of the Anglo-Russian
Entente on August 31, 1907. The alliance of the three powers, supplemented by agreements
with Portugal and Japan, constituted a powerful counterweight to the Triple Alliance of Germany,
Austria-Hungary and the Kingdom of Italy. Historians continue to debate the importance
of the alliance system in igniting the Great War. At the start of World War I in 1914,
all three of the Triple Entente entered it as Allies against the Central Powers Germany
and Austria-Hungary.
Origins French Isolation
Russia had previously been a member of the League of the Three Emperors with Austria-Hungary
and Germany, an alliance established in 1873 between Tsar Alexander II, Emperor Franz Joseph
I and Kaiser Wilhelm I. The alliance was part of the German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck′s
plan to isolate France diplomatically; he feared France had revanchist aspirations and
might try to regain her 1871 losses, and to fight against radical sentiments the conservative
rulers found unsettling, such as the First International.
However, the League faced great difficulty with the growing tensions between the Russian
Empire and Austria-Hungary. These tensions revolved mainly over the Balkans where, with
the rise of nationalism and the continued decline of the Ottoman Empire, many former
Ottoman provinces struggled for independence. The situation in the Balkans and the 1878
Treaty of Berlin, which left Russia feeling cheated of her gains made in the Russo-Turkish
War led to the League not being renewed in 1887.‏
In an attempt to stop Russia from allying with France, Bismarck signed the secret Reinsurance
Treaty with Russia in 1887, assuring both parties would remain neutral toward each other
should war break out.‏ Due to the alliance between Russia and France,
and Bismarck′s exclusion of Russia from the German financial market in 1887, the treaty
was not renewed, ending the alliance between Germany and Russia.
Franco-Russian Alliance Despite the Reinsurance Treaty, the Russian
leadership was alarmed at the country′s diplomatic isolation and entered the Franco-Russian
Alliance in 1894. Russia then broke the treaty in 1900 which resulted in a dispute.
Entente cordiale In 1904, Britain and France signed a series
of agreements called the Entente cordiale. These agreements directly concerned colonies.
The Entente heralded the end of British neutrality in Europe. It was partly a response to growing
German antagonism, as expressed in the expansion of the Kaiserliche Marine into a battle fleet
that could threaten the supremacy of the Royal Navy.
Anglo-Russian Convention of 1907 In 1907 Britain and Russia signed an agreement
called the Anglo-Russian Convention of 1907. It stopped their rivalry in Central Asia.
Participating nations Britain
In the last decade of the 19th century, Britain continued its policy of "splendid isolation",
with its primary focus on defending its massive overseas empire. However, by the early 1900s
the German threat increased dramatically. Some in Britain thought it was in need of
allies. For most of the 19th century, Britain had regarded France and Russia as its two
most dangerous rivals, but with the growing threat of Germany, British policy began to
change. The three main reasons were:
France and Britain had signed five separate agreements regarding spheres of influence
in North Africa in 1904. This came to be known as the Entente Cordiale. The Tangier Crisis
which followed encouraged co-operation between the two countries, given their mutual fear
of apparent German expansionism. Russia was defeated in the Russo-Japanese
War. This display of weakness resulted in less concern over Russian imperialism and
encouraged Russia to secure its position elsewhere. France was already allied to Russia in the
Dual Alliance. Britain was extremely concerned about the
rising threat of German imperialism. Kaiser Wilhelm II had announced to the world his
intentions to create a global German empire and to develop a strong navy. Britain—traditionally
having control of the seas—saw this as a serious threat to its own empire and navy.
In 1907, the Anglo-Russian Entente was agreed, which attempted to resolve a series of long-running
disputes over Persia, Afghanistan and Tibet, as well as helping to address British fears
about German expansion in the Near East. French Third Republic
During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871, Prussia defeated the Second French Empire,
resulting in the establishment of the Third Republic. In the Treaty of Frankfurt, Prussia
forced France to cede Alsace-Lorraine to the new German Empire. Ever since, relations had
been at an all time low. France—worried about the escalating military development
of Germany—began building up its own war industries and army as a deterrent to German
aggression. As another measure, France developed a strong bond with Russia by ratifying the
Franco-Russian Alliance, which was designed to create a strong counter to the Triple Alliance.
France′s main concerns were to protect against an attack from Germany, and to regain Alsace-Lorraine.
Russian Empire
Russia possessed, by far, the largest manpower reserves of all the six European powers, but
was also the most backward economically. Russia shared France′s worries about Germany. After
the Germans started to reorganize the Turkish army, Russia feared that they would come to
control the Dardanelles, a vital trade artery which accounted for two fifths of Russia's
exports. This was also coupled with Russia's long history
of rivalry with Austria-Hungary. Austria-Hungary had recently annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina,
angering Russia immensely. Russia had considered itself the leader of the Slavic world and
viewed the invasion as another step towards annexing Serbia and Montenegro. To counteract
Austria-Hungary′s aggression into the Balkans, Russia pledged to aid Serbia militarily if
invaded. Russia had also recently lost the humiliating
Russo-Japanese War in 1905, resulting in a revolutionary uprising and apparent transformation
into a constitutional monarchy. To counter its enemies militarily and politically, Russia
sought to revive the Franco-Russian Alliance. Although it was perceived as useless during
the war with Japan, in the European theatre it was invaluable. Russia signed the Anglo-Russian
Convention of 1907 with Britain to counteract the threat of the Triple Alliance.
The alignment of the autocratic Russian Empire with Europe's two largest democracies was
not without controversy on both sides. Many Russian conservatives mistrusted the secular
French Republic; in turn, prominent French and British journalists, academics, and parliamentarians
found the backward, reactionary tsarist regime distasteful. The mistrust persisted even during
wartime, with British and French politicians expressing relief when Tsar Nicholas II abdicated
in favor of a Provisional Government in 1917, and in fact worked to block political asylum
for the Romanovs. See also
Allies of World War I Central Powers
Notes
References Albrecht-Carrié, René. A Diplomatic History
of Europe Since the Congress of Vienna Feuchtwanger‏, E. J.. Bismarck
Gildea, Robert. Barricades and Borders: Europe 1800-1914
Henig, Ruth Beatrice. The origins of the First World War
Holborn‏, Hajo. A History of Modern Germany: 1840-1945
Schmitt, Bernadotte. Triple Alliance and Triple Entente
Sontag, Raymond. European Diplomatic History: 1871-1932, basic short summary
Taylor, A.J.P. The Struggle for Mastery in Europe 1848–1918 advanced coverage
Tomaszewski, Fiona K. A Great Russia: Russia and the Triple Entente, 1905 to 1914 excerpt
and text search