Love

The Diplomatic Juggler
Alisa Jacobs

Bismarck’s underlying objective in his coalition pursuit was to always ally himself with three of the five major European nations so as to avoid war. He considered himself an intermediary in Europe and followed a preventative approach. He sought to evade conflict via precautionary actions and reactions. Bismarck coyly followed a policy of balanced tension through which he provoked the strain between other powers to benefit Germany. It is through these strategies that Bismarck earned the title, “Diplomatic Juggler.”
Bismarck wanted to protect Austria-Hungary from possible Russian aggression. He did so through the Dual Alliance, which lasted from 1879 to 1918. The alliance was between Austria-Hungary and Germany. Relations between Russia and Austria-Hungary had soured as a result of Russia attacking Turkey and imposing the Treaty of San Stefano. The Austro-Russian understanding of 1873 had fallen victim to upheaval in the Balkans.
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