The road to war, 1879–1913

In brief

On 7 October 1879 Germany and Austria-Hungary concluded a secret defensive alliance against Russia, and on 20 May 1882 Italy joined it. After Bismarck's departure Berlin did not renew its secret treaty with Russia, and on 4 January 1894 France and Russia became allies.

From 1898 Germany built a battle fleet, and in 1906 the British launched HMS Dreadnought, the first battleship with only heavy guns. Britain concluded colonial agreements with France in 1904 and with Russia in 1907, which completed the Triple Entente. Germany twice tried to undermine France's position in Morocco, at Tangier in 1905 and at Agadir in 1911, but at Algeciras only Austria-Hungary backed it.

In early October 1908 Vienna announced the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia called up reservists. The war that Italy declared on the Ottoman Empire on 29 September 1911 exposed Turkey's weakness and emboldened the Balkan states. After a war that began on 8 October 1912, Turkey ceded to the Balkan allies on 30 May 1913 its European lands west of the Enos–Midia line. On the night of 29–30 June 1913 the Bulgarians attacked the Serbs and Greeks, and the peace of 10 August took Southern Dobruja and most of Macedonia from Bulgaria.

Meanwhile Polish supporters of independence prepared to fight Russia: in June 1908 the secret Union of Active Struggle was founded in Lviv, in April 1910 the open Riflemen's Association, and on 10 November 1912 in Vienna a Temporary Commission of parties from Galicia and the Kingdom.