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ABSTRACT:

I have taken the document “THE DUAL ALLAINCE BETWEEN AUSTRIA-


HUNGARY AND GERMANY 1879 “as a source to look into deep down situations
in between these states. The document is most prominently contributed in the
politics of war and how to defend one another in wars for the sake of interest.
The purpose of writing this research paper is firstly to understand how the alliance
policies drastically changed the politics in Germany and how it strengthened both
of the state and how Austria became powerful because of the alliance.
This research paper is divided into three main parts. The first part is Introduction of
the topic, the second part consist of detail study of the topic, third part is about the
analysis and the fourth part is about the conclusion of the topic.
References taken from the seminar library of university of Karachi and from online
sources. Qualitative methodology has used to complete this research paper.
INTRODUCTION TO THE SOURCE:
THE alliance between Austria-Hungary and Germany which later called the
DUAL ALLIANCE is an agreement between the states. Which seems to ensure
and promise one another to defend and protect one another if there would be war or
attack from Russia, but should remain neutral if attacked by any other state.
Germany statesman Otto Von Bismarck saw that alliance as a great way to prevent
Germany from isolation and to have peace in the state. This agreement remained
an important element in the foreign policy of both the state till 1918.1
When the states formed the alliance in 1879, it came as a surprise for the other
Europe alliance, though they both share a same language and somehow same
culture, Austria and Germany were drove apart oftenly most prominently in the
recent Austro-Prussian war. 2
The articles of the dual alliance which apply on both of the states and the states are
bound to it are as follows:
ARTICLE 1. Should, contrary to their hope, and against the loyal desire of the two
High Contracting Parties, one of the two Empires be attacked by Russia the High
Contracting Parties are bound to come to the assistance one of the other with the
whole war strength of their Empires, and accordingly only to conclude peace
together and upon mutual agreement.

ARTICLE 2. Should one of the High Contracting Parties be attacked by another


Power, the other High Contracting Party binds itself hereby, not only not to support
the aggressor against its high Ally, but to observe at least a benevolent neutral
attitude towards its fellow Contracting Party.

Should, however, the attacking party in such a case be supported by Russia, either
by an active cooperation or by military measures which constitute a menace to the
Party attacked, then the obligation stipulated in Article 1 of this Treaty, for
reciprocal assistance with the whole fighting force, becomes equally operative, and
the conduct of the war by the two High Contracting Parties shall in this case also
be in common until the conclusion of a common peace.

ARTICLE 3. The duration of this Treaty shall be provisionally fixed at five years
from the day of ratification. One year before the expiration of this period the two
High Contracting Parties shall consult together concerning the question whether
the conditions serving as the basis of the Treaty still prevail, and reach an
1
https://www.britannica.com/event/Austro-German-Alliance
2
Martel, Gordon. The Origins of the First World War. Third edition, 2003, p. 21.
agreement in regard to the further continuance or possible modification of certain
details. If in the course of the first month of the last year of the Treaty no invitation
has been received from either side to open these negotiations, the Treaty shall be
considered as renewed for a further period of three years.

ARTICLE 4. This Treaty shall, in conformity with its peaceful character, and to
avoid any misinterpretation, be kept secret by the two High Contracting Parties,
and only communicated to a third Power upon a joint understanding between the
two Parties, and according to the terms of a special Agreement.

The two High Contracting Parties venture to hope, after the sentiments expressed
by the Emperor Alexander at the meeting at Alexandrovo, that the armaments of
Russia will not in reality prove to be menacing to them, and have on that account
no reason for making a communication at present; should, however, this hope,
contrary to their expectations, prove to be erroneous, the two High Contracting
Parties would consider it their loyal obligation to let the Emperor Alexander know,
at least confidentially, that they must consider an attack on either of them as
directed against both.

ARTICLE 5. This Treaty shall derive its validity from the approbation of the two
Exalted Sovereigns and shall be ratified within fourteen days after this approbation
has been granted by Their Most Exalted Majesties. In witness whereof the
Plenipotentiaries have signed this Treaty with their own hands and affixed their
arms.3

DETAILED STUDY:
With the creation of nation states in European nation and Italian Republic
completed, 1871 marked a turning purpose within the development of Europe’s
international order. in an exceedingly series of 3 victorious wars, Prussia had solid
the economically and militarily sturdy German Empire, that currently control a
very powerful position on the continent. once a crisis within the mid-1870s,
German Chancellor Otto national leader (1815-1898) settled on a course of
securing the empire’s position by uninflected France and fascinating with the
opposite nice Powers, specifically geographic region and Russia. Ever the skillful
diplomat, Bismarck was able to come through this abundant, however he left a
troublesome inheritance to his successors once his dismissal in 1890. It clothed to
3
https://wwi.lib.byu.edu/index.php/The_Dual_Alliance_Between_Austria-Hungary_and_Germany
be significantly troublesome to keep up shut ties with Russia while not
encouraging St. beleaguering to wage a policy of enlargement on the Balkans.
many times, Bismarck tried to make on the normal pattern of anti-revolutionary
cooperation between the monarchies of the Romanovs, the Hohenzollern, and
therefore the Habsburgs. The 3 Emperors’ League was prescribed in an
exceedingly written agreement between tsar, Emperor of Russia (1818-1881),
Wilhelm I, German Emperor (1797-1888), and Emperor I, Emperor of Austria
(1830-1916) in September 1873. It induced the spirit of the Holy Alliance,
however wouldn't survive the clash of interests between geographic region and
Russia that developed simply some years later over the enlargement of Russian
influence in South East Europe and therefore the creation of a bigger Republic of
Bulgaria within the 1878 San Stefano accord between Russia and therefore the
Ottoman Empire.4

The Balkan Crisis of the decennary and therefore the Congress of Berlin in 1878,
at that Bismarck failed to save Russia from international pressure to convey abreast
of the project of bigger Republic of Bulgaria, hot and bothered the foundations of
the cooperation between the 3 conservative monarchies of the Hohenzollerns, the
Romanovs, and therefore the Habsburgs. Associate in Nursing Austrian initiative
diode to the supposed twin Alliance, a defensive alliance between the German
Empire and therefore the royalty autarchy. the key alliance written agreement of
seven Gregorian calendar month 1879 assured geographic region of German
military help just in case of a Russian attack on the twin autarchy. geographic
region conjointly committed herself to return to the rescue of her ally just in case
of a Russian attack on European nation, an extremely unlikely situation. The
Germans would get very little reciprocally, since the Austrians were underneath no
obligation to return to their ally’s rescue within the case of a French attack on the
German Empire. Benevolent neutrality was all that they had to vow, unless France
would be fighting aboard Russia.5

Bismarck needed to defend the royalty autarchy from Russian aggression and to
urge a say in Austria’s policy. while not German consent, any diplomatic or action
taken by the Austrians that diode to Russian countermeasures may jeopardize
4
https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/alliance_system_1914
5
Austro-German Alliance". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia
Britannica Inc.
Germany’s commitment to the alliance. The casus foederis, Bismarck created clear
within the Eighties, would solely be triggered if Austria’s actions were 1st cleared
with Berlin and therefore the succeeding Russian attack labeled “unprovoked”.
during this approach, Bismarck avoided a state of affairs during which the weaker
of the allies would be able to steer the stronger one towards war. The German
chancellor wasn't solely making an attempt to commit Austrian capital to shut
coordination of its Balkan policy with Berlin; he conjointly hoped to form the twin
Alliance the cornerstone of cooperation in different fields and to tie the royalty
autarchy to the German Reich in an exceedingly approach similar to the Holy
empire. Gyula Andrássy (1860-1929), Bismarck’s opponent, refused to own the
written agreement legal by parliaments, and it might be unbroken secret till 1889,
once Bismarck revealed it to discourage Russia at the peak of the twin Crisis.6

Nevertheless, the twin Alliance wasn't thought-about to be simply another


international written agreement, however rather the inspiration and image of a
special relationship between the German Empire and therefore the twin autarchy.
The terribly basis of Austro-Hungarian ism, the dominating influence of the
Germans in Austria and therefore the Magyars in Republic of Hungary, was seen
as non-negotiable in Berlin, so as to stay Slav aspirations in Europe trapped.
German diplomats and politicians wouldn't recede from telling their counterparts
therefore, however up to some extent, the underlying Teutonic, anti-Slav rhetoric
conjointly restricted Germany’s freedom of action. The term “Nibelungentreue”,
applied to German-Austrian relations by Chancellor Bernhard von Bülow (1849-
1929) in 1909, place a reputation to the cultural underpinnings of the twin Alliance
that had to be accounted for by German politicians. With Italian Republic staying
out of the fray in 1914, the twin Alliance became the nucleus of what would be
known as the war coalition of the alinement.7

The Dual Alliance would be revived on an everyday basis and still existed in 1914,
however by that point, most contemporaries had begun to use the term Triple
Alliance after they were talking concerning Germany’s and Austria-Hungary’s
most vital alliance written agreement. As within the case of European nation, the
creation of Italian Republic as a nation state had return at the expense of the
6
 Christopher Andrew, "German world policy and the reshaping of the dual alliance." Journal of Contemporary
History 1.3 (1966): 137-151 online.
7
https://ghdi.ghi-dc.org/sub_document.cfm?document_id=1856
royalty autarchy. however not like European nation, wherever the concept of
uniting the German-speaking components of Austria with the German Empire
enjoyed virtually no support, the vision of Associate in Nursing Italian Republic
that enclosed the communicative regions of the royalty autarchy control sizable
charm for the Italian elites. additionally, the aspiring new – and still not terribly
sturdy – commonwealth Italian Republic was vying with geographic region for
management within the sea. The potential for conflict between each power even so,
Italian Republic had reasons to hide her back whereas she was endeavor for
colonial enlargement within the Mediterranean. With France obstruction Italy’s
path by seizing Republic of Tunisia in 1881, the govt in Rome had to show to
Austrian capital and Berlin in search of protection just in case of future colonial
conflicts.
ANALYSIS:
The dual Alliance is a very important event at that time as I wrote it came as
surprising alliance because both the states were driven apart. The alliance gave a
chance for newly emerging Germany and his intelligent stateman Otto Von
Bismarck as he saw it as a great way to prevent Germany from isolation because
Germany is on the last stair of isolation every state is leaving Germany and the
internal ongoing situation in Germany is also one of the reasons for the isolation of
Germany.
The Alliance gave prosperity and strengthened both Austria-Hungary and
Germany. It gave Russia a thought that if Russia attack or declare war against any
one of them it will be not great for Russia because they both defend and protect
one another. In my opinion it was a great thing for the survival of both the states
because at that time Russia was very strong in terms of economy and military so its
great for the interest of both the states to remain intact with each other.

CONCLUSION:
The Alliance between Austria-Hungary and Germany gave power and strength to
both of the states. Austria-Hungary as had some rift in between with Russia so the
alliance gave Austria a power that there is a state behind its back who would fight
jointly in hand with Austria if there will be any war against Russia. On the other
hand, Germany who saw it as lastly hope for the survival as a stable state because
there were many ongoing rifts with several state i.e., France etc.
REFRENCES:

1. https://www.britannica.com/event/Austro-German-Alliance
2. Martel, Gordon. The Origins of the First World War. Third
edition, 2003, p. 21.
3. https://wwi.lib.byu.edu/index.php/The_Dual_Alliance_Bet
ween_Austria-Hungary_and_Germany
4. https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-
online.net/article/alliance_system_1914
5. Austro-German Alliance". Encyclopedia Britannica.
Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica
Inc.
6. Christopher Andrew, "German world policy and the
reshaping of the dual alliance." Journal of Contemporary
History 1.3 (1966): 137-151 online.
7. https://ghdi.ghi-dc.org/sub_document.cfm?
document_id=1856

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