Comment l'Europe a pu connaitre un siècle de paix ?
Summary
TLDRLe script décrit la fin des guerres napoléoniennes et l'établissement d'un siècle de paix en Europe grâce au congrès de Vienne. Il détaille les ambitions des grandes puissances, les conflits tels que la guerre de Crimée et les guerres d'indépendance italiennes et grecques, et comment l'unification de l'Allemagne par Bismarck a mis fin au concert européen. Le script explore également les efforts de Bismarck pour maintenir la paix en Europe malgré les tensions croissantes qui ont conduit à la Première Guerre mondiale.
Takeaways
- 😀 L'entrée des troupes de la coalition dans Paris le 31 mars 1814 marquait la fin des guerres napoléoniennes.
- 🎖️ La victoire des alliés a été célébrée par un défilé triomphant à Paris, malgré les conditions météorologiques défavorables.
- 🕍 L'époque post-Napoléon a vu une paix relative en Europe, avec peu de conflits majeurs entre 1814 et 1914.
- 🤝 Le Congrès de Vienne (1814-1815) a été un effort concerté pour réorganiser l'Europe et établir un nouvel équilibre de puissance.
- ✍️ Les diplomates ont joué un rôle central dans la mise en place de conditions de paix, favorisant la diplomatie sur la guerre.
- 🏰 L'expansion territoriale de la Prusse et de la Russie, ainsi que la perte de puissance de la France et de l'Autriche, ont été des conséquences directes du Congrès de Vienne.
- 🇪🇺 L'idée d'un concert européen visait à empêcher que nul État ne domine seul le continent, privilégiant l'égalité des puissances et la diplomatie.
- 🔄 Les conflits qui ont émergé pendant la période du concert européen, tels que la Guerre de Crimée et les guerres d'indépendance en Grèce et en Italie, ont été de moindre ampleur que les guerres précédentes.
- 🤺 L'unification de l'Allemagne sous l'impulsion de Bismarck a marqué la fin du concert européen et a conduit à une augmentation de la tension en Europe.
- ⚔️ L'ambition de Bismarck et la guerre franco-prusse ont conduit à la perte d'Alsace-Lorraine pour la France et à l'indemnisation de la Prusse, changeant le cours de l'histoire européenne.
Q & A
Quel événement marqua le début de la fin des guerres napoléoniennes ?
-Le 31 mars 1814, l'entrée des troupes de la coalition dans la capitale de Paris marqua le début de la fin des guerres napoléoniennes.
Quels étaient les principaux dirigeants présents lors de la parade triomphale à Paris après l'entrée des troupes de la coalition ?
-Tsar Alexandre Ier, le roi de Prusse Frédéric Guillaume III et le généralissime Charles de Schwarzenberg étaient présents lors de la parade triomphale.
Comment s'est terminée la carrière militaire de Napoléon Bonaparte suite à l'entrée des troupes de la coalition à Paris ?
-Napoléon Bonaparte a pris congé de ses enfants, de ses frères d'armes à Fontainebleau, marquant la fin de sa carrière militaire et de son règne.
Quelle était la conséquence principale des guerres napoléoniennes sur la population européenne ?
-Les guerres napoléoniennes ont causé la perte d'au moins 4 millions de personnes et traumatisé la population européenne.
Quel mécanisme a été mis en place pour maintenir la paix en Europe après les guerres napoléoniennes ?
-Le Congrès de Vienne, qui a eu lieu entre septembre 1814 et juin 1815, a été un mécanisme mis en place pour maintenir la paix en Europe en répartissant le pouvoir entre les grandes puissances.
Quels étaient les principaux acteurs du Congrès de Vienne ?
-Les principaux acteurs du Congrès de Vienne étaient les diplomates des quatre grandes puissances victorieuses : l'Autriche, la Russie, la Grande-Bretagne et la Prusse.
Quelle était la principale préoccupation des puissances européennes lors du Congrès de Vienne ?
-La principale préoccupation était de maintenir un équilibre de pouvoir en Europe pour éviter que l'une des puissances ne domine le continent et n'impose sa suprématie.
Quels étaient les principaux accords territoriaux établis lors du Congrès de Vienne ?
-L'Autriche a annexé le Tyrol, une partie de la Pologne et le nord de l'Italie, la Russie a obtenu des territoires en Pologne et en Finlande, la Prusse a gagné en territoire vers l'ouest et a annexé la moitié de la Saxe, la Grande-Bretagne a renforcé son contrôle sur les routes commerciales et la France a conservé certains gains territoriaux de l'Empire.
Comment le Congrès de Vienne a-t-il contribué à la paix en Europe pendant une grande partie du 19e siècle ?
-Le Congrès de Vienne a contribué à la paix en Europe en établissant un système de concert européen qui privilégiait la diplomatie et la coopération entre les grandes puissances pour résoudre les conflits.
Quelle a été la stratégie de Bismarck pour unifier l'Allemagne ?
-Bismarck a utilisé la guerre et la diplomatie pour unifier l'Allemagne, en particulier en menant des conflits avec le Danemark, l'Autriche et la France, et en négociant des alliances avec les États du Sud.
Outlines
🏰 La paix après les guerres napoléoniennes
Le 31 mars 1814, les troupes de la coalition entrent dans Paris, et malgré les mauvaises conditions météorologiques, de nombreux Parisiens assistent au défilé des Cosaques russes et des Grenadiers autrichiens. Dans l'ombre des Champs-Élysées, le Tsar Alexandre Ier, le Roi de Prusse Frédéric Guillaume III et le général Charles de Schwarzenberg célébrent leur victoire. À Fontainebleau, Napoléon Bonaparte prend congé de ses troupes. La fin des guerres napoléoniennes marque le début d'un siècle de paix en Europe, marqué par des conflits rares et limités. Le Congrès de Vienne, qui se tient entre septembre 1814 et juin 1815, réunit des diplomates pour établir la paix en Europe. Les grandes puissances, en particulier l'Autriche, la Russie, la Grande-Bretagne et la Prusse, jouent un rôle prépondérant dans les décisions. Les négociations sont tendues, notamment à cause des ambitions russes et prussiennes en Pologne et en Saxe. Finalement, la Prusse obtient des gains territoriaux, la Russie s'agrandit en Pologne et en Finlande, l'Autriche annexe des territoires en Italie et en Pologne, et la Grande-Bretagne renforce son contrôle sur les routes commerciales. La France, quant à elle, conserve certains gains territoriaux et maintient un rôle diplomatique grâce à Talleyrand.
🎻 Le Concert européen et les conflits limités
Le Concert européen, issu du Congrès de Vienne, a fonctionné efficacement au cours des cinquante premières années, limitant les conflits entre les grandes puissances. Trois principaux conflits se produisent : la Guerre d'indépendance grecque, où la France, la Grande-Bretagne et la Russie soutiennent la cause grecque contre l'Empire ottoman; la Guerre de Crimée, où la Russie cherche à étendre son influence en Balkans et en mer Noire, provoquant l'intervention de la France et de la Grande-Bretagne; et la Deuxième Guerre d'indépendance italienne, où la France et la Sardaigne luttent contre l'Autriche pour la domination de la péninsule italienne. Ces conflits sont courts et ne concernent que brièvement les grandes puissances, témoignant de l'efficacité du Concert européen. Cependant, l'ambition d'un homme, Otto von Bismarck, commence à miner cette stabilité.
⚔️ L'unification allemande et la fin du Concert européen
Otto von Bismarck devient le chancelier de Prusse en 1862, au moment où le pays est en crise politique. Il soutient le roi William I dans son conflit avec le parlement et impose sa volonté, ce qui le rend rapidement populaire. En 1863, la crise de Schleswig-Holstein offre à Bismarck l'opportunité de démontrer sa force, en formant une alliance avec l'Autriche contre le Danemark. La victoire prussienne renforce la position de Bismarck, qui pousse ensuite à la guerre contre l'Autriche en 1866, remportant rapidement la victoire et imposant la dissolution de la Confédération germanique. L'unification de l'Allemagne semble inévitable, mais Bismarck rencontre des oppositions, notamment de la France qui craint une unification allemande. En 1870, une crise liée à la succession en Espagne déclenche la guerre franco-prusse, où la France apparaît agressive et est rapidement vaincue. La France cède l'Alsace et la Lorraine et paie une indemnité de guerre. L'Empire allemand est proclamé en 1871, marquant la fin du Concert européen et l'unification de l'Allemagne.
🌐 L'isolement de la France et la préparation de la Première Guerre mondiale
Bismarck, conscient des erreurs commises lors de la guerre franco-prusse, s'efforce d'isoler la France pour protéger l'unité allemande. Il encourage les républicains en France et cherche à s'allier avec d'autres puissances européennes pour limiter l'influence française. Il crée l'Alliance des trois empereurs avec l'Autriche et la Russie, puis l'entente tripartite avec l'Italie, excluant la France. Malgré ses efforts, la France se rapproche de la Russie et de la Grande-Bretagne, tandis que l'Allemagne se retrouve isolée. La politique de Bismarck permet d'éviter les conflits entre les grandes puissances jusqu'à 1914, mais elle crée également des tensions qui conduiront à la Première Guerre mondiale. L'issue de cette guerre et le traité de Versailles prépareront le terrain pour une future et encore plus meurtrière Seconde Guerre mondiale.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Congrès de Vienne
💡Napoléon Bonaparte
💡Concert européen
💡Guerre de Crimée
💡Otto von Bismarck
💡Guerre franco-prussiennes
💡Traité de Frankfurt
💡Conférence de Berlin
💡Empire allemand
💡Première Guerre mondiale
Highlights
Le 31 mars 1814, les troupes de la coalition entrent dans la capitale et, malgré le mauvais temps, de nombreux Parisiens assistent au grandiose défilé des Cosaques russes et des grenadiers autrichiens.
Sous l'ombre des Champs-Élysées, le Tsar Alexandre Ier, le Roi de Prusse Frédéric Guillaume III et le généralissime Charles de Schwarzenberg méditent leur victoire triomphale sur l'insolent garçon, l'ogre corse, le tyran, l'antéchrist.
À Fontainebleau, Napoléon Bonaparte, le petit caporal, l'épée de la France, le père de la Patrie, prend congé de ses enfants, de ses frères d'armes, et son discours est noyé dans les larmes de ses soldats.
La fin des guerres napoléoniennes restaure la paix en Europe et les soldats de la Grande Armée reviennent chez eux, mais ces conflits ont causé la perte d'au moins 4 millions de vies et traumatisé la population européenne.
Le congrès de Vienne, entre septembre 1814 et juin 1815, réunit des diplomates européens pour établir les conditions de la paix, influencés principalement par les quatre grands vainqueurs : l'Autriche, la Russie, la Grande-Bretagne et la Prusse.
Les conflits entre les puissances, notamment autour de la Pologne et de la Saxe, mènent à une crise qui implique la France, rendant la diplomatie post-1814 complexe.
Le congrès de Vienne aboutit à un partage des gains territoriaux, avec des avancées significatives pour la Prusse, la Russie et l'Autriche, tandis que la Grande-Bretagne se concentre sur le contrôle des routes commerciales.
L'idée d'un concert européen est introduite pour maintenir la paix en Europe, en organisant le continent de manière à ce qu'aucune puissance ne puisse dominer seule.
La Grèce lutte pour son indépendance contre l'Empire ottoman, avec l'appui de la France, de la Grande-Bretagne et de la Russie, qui aboutit à la victoire en 1827 à Navarin.
La guerre de Crimée en 1853 voit la Russie en conflit avec l'Empire ottoman, pour protéger les chrétiens orthodoxes et étendre son influence en Balkans, ce qui est contré par la France et la Grande-Bretagne.
La Deuxième Guerre d'indépendance italienne en 1859 oppose les armées franco-sardes et autrichiennes, marquée par les victoires de Magenta et Solferino, ouvrant la voie à l'unification italienne.
Otto von Bismarck devient le chancelier de Prusse en 1862, avec l'objectif de renforcer l'autorité royale et de réformer le système militaire.
Bismarck mène la Prusse à la victoire dans la guerre contre le Danemark en 1864, renforçant son autorité et la fierté nationale.
La guerre de 1866 contre l'Autriche voit la Prusse gagner des territoires en Allemagne et imposer la dissolution de la Confédération germanique, marquant la fin du concert européen.
La guerre franco-prusse de 1870-71 aboutit à la chute de l'Empire français et à la proclamation de la République, avec la Prusse gagnant des territoires stratégiques et une indemnité de guerre.
La proclamation de l'Empire allemand en 1871 symbolise l'unification allemande, avec Bismarck jouant un rôle central dans la diplomatie européenne.
Bismarck cherche à isoler la France pour protéger l'unité allemande, en encourageant des alliances et des traités comme l'accord des trois empereurs.
La politique de Bismarck permet d'éviter les conflits entre les grandes puissances de 1871 à 1914, mais son renversement par Guillaume II et la rupture avec la Russie préparent le terrain à la Première Guerre mondiale.
Transcripts
On March 31, 1814, the coalition troops entered the capital and, despite the bad weather,
many Parisians attended the grandiose parade of Russian Cossacks and
Austrian grenadiers.
In the shadow of the Champs Elysees, Tsar Alexander I, King of Prussia Frederick William
III and Generalissimo Charles de Schwarzenberg contemplate their triumphant victory over the
insolent boy, the Corsican ogre, the tyrant, the antichrist.
In Fontainebleau, Napoleon Bonaparte, the little corporal, the sword of France, the father
of the Fatherland, bids farewell to his children, his brothers in arms, and his speech is
drowned in the midst of their tears.
With the end of the Napoleonic wars, peace was restored in Europe and the soldiers
of the Grand Army finally returned home, these conflicts caused the loss of at least
4 million souls and traumatized the European population.
It is then a century of peace which opens on the old continent, between 1814 and 1914
the wars are rare, and those which break out are of a reduced scope.
Yet many crises shake this new Europe, despite everything, the powers
favor diplomacy in war.
In this episode, we will see who are the actors and the reasons for this century of
peace in Europe.
In 1813, the Tsar and the King of Prussia agreed to hold a congress
to discuss the fate of Europe after Napoleon's defeat, and when the
Treaty of Paris was signed , the Austrians, the British and the French
also support this idea.
Thus, between September 1814 and June 1815, diplomats from all over Europe met
in Vienna to draw up and sign the conditions of peace.
In itself, this congress depends almost exclusively on the four big winners, if the Austrians,
the Russians, the British and the Prussians agree on a subject, all
the other powers have no other choice but to comply. to their requirements.
Fortunately for the latter, the big four often find it difficult to agree,
especially because the Austrians and the British are worried about Russian
ambition , Europe even borders on war during the negotiations.
Poland and Saxony are at the center of these conflicts, Tsar Alexander I and King
of Prussia Frederick William signed a secret agreement in 1814 in which they agree
that Poland falls under Russian authority and that Saxony is integrated into Prussia.
The Austrians and the English want to prevent Russia from having control over
all of Poland, and the French seek to safeguard Saxon autonomy to
block the road to a unification of Germany, an idea which was supported by a good number
of small German sovereigns who line up behind the French position.
But the Tsar, far from appreciating the situation, ordered the reunion of the Kingdom of Saxony with
Prussia and reinforced the Russian presence in Warsaw, Poland.
The Austrians and the British were then ready to use force, but the Austrian army
not being powerful enough to oppose the two powers alone,
it sought French support.
This crisis allows the loser of 1814 to once again become important on the diplomatic scene,
the congress would henceforth consist of five.
Tensions escalate quickly but war is avoided with the content of a
conference between the big five.
The Prussians gain there an expansion of their territory towards the west and the annexation
of half of Saxony, while Poland is once again divided between Russians,
Prussians and Austrians.
Finally, the congress takes place without a conflict breaking out, if we ignore the parenthesis
of the Hundred Days.
During this, the British and the French defend the idea of a European concert
to maintain a lasting peace in Europe.
This idea seeks to organize Europe in such a way that no power
can alone dominate the continent and impose its hegemony on it, overall, the
big five must be of equal power and diplomacy must be privileged,
the Authors who deal with this idea also speak of the possibility of waging
just wars to restore peace in self-defense.
This idea of a European concert is essential during the congress, although the Russian,
Prussian and Austrian ambitions put it in danger.
To maintain this European balance, concessions have been made to each state
: Prussia, as we have seen, obtains territorial gains, these allow it
to regain a territory equivalent to that which it had in 1805, before Napoleon
does not crush him.
Russia is also gaining territories, not only does the Tsar become king of the
vital part of Poland, but it also annexes Finland and gains enormous prestige with
its victory over Napoleon.
Austria annexed Tyrol, part of Poland and northern Italy, and took
the head of a new confederation of German states.
The British themselves, as usual, are focusing on the economic point.
They strengthen their control over trade routes by taking Malta, the Ionian Islands,
Heligoland, and colonies in Africa.
It also ensures French impotence by integrating Belgium and
Luxembourg into the Netherlands and by strengthening the kingdom of Piedmont.
France, it retains some territorial gains of the Empire such as the Comtat
Venaissin and Mulhouse, but it manages above all to safeguard a diplomatic role
in Europe, especially thanks to the maneuvers of its Minister of Foreign Affairs
Talleyrand.
The idea of the European concert will work very well since no major war
will shake the Europe of the five during the next half-century.
The fact is that the putting into practice of the European concert works, during the first 50 years which follow the Congress of Vienna, the conflicts in which several of the big five
participate are rare and have nothing to do with the Napoleonic wars.
We can cite three: The first is the Greek War of Independence, from 1821
the Greeks revolted against the Ottoman power, despite certain victories, the repression
was violent, and the massacres perpetrated by the Turks, in particular the massacre of the island.
of Chios, which saw at least 20,000 Greeks lose their lives and at least 50,000 others
enslaved, moved European nations.
Faced with popular pressure, France and Great Britain and Russia took up position
alongside the Greeks and crushed the Ottoman fleet, without losing a single ship, at
Navarin in 1827.
After the landing of French troops in Morea, the Turks folded and accept Greek
independence .
The second conflict is the Crimean War, in 1853 Russia declares war on the Ottoman
Empire, officially in order to protect the Orthodox Christians of the Empire, but
in reality Russia seeks to extend its influence in the Balkans and around
the Black Sea, which would have called into question the European balance.
To avoid this, Great Britain and France entered the conflict alongside the
Turks and won the Battle of Alma before laying siege to Sebastopol,
where the Russian fleet was anchored.
Russia finally surrendered in 1856 and the neutrality of the Black Sea was signed in
Paris the same year.
The second Italian War of Independence is the third of these conflicts, it sees
opposing the Franco-Sardinian armies and the Austrian army in 1859 for the domination of
the Italian peninsula.
The war ends with the Franco-Sardinian victories of Magenta and Solferino, which allows
the Sardinians to take Lombardy and open the voice of Italian unification.
During these conflicts France, which is the only major player to participate in each
of them, lost around 110,000 men, which is less than during the Russian
Campaign alone .
In total, the big five are at war with each other for less than five
years between 1815 and 1865, all these wars combined were therefore shorter than
the Napoleonic wars, the war of Austrian succession or even that the American
War of Independence.
It is then easy to realize that the European concert works, the great
European powers favor diplomacy in war, but despite this success,
it will quickly be undermined by the ambitions of one man.
On September 22, 1862, Otto Von Bismarck made his entry into the castle of Babelsberg, to the conservatives, which assured the Prime Minister a majority in the chamber.
it was King William I of Prussia who invited him to attend.
The monarchy is then in crisis, the king seeks to reform the military system of the country
but clashes with the parliament, with liberal majority, which controls the budget of the state
and is opposed to the reforms.
Some soldiers then advise the king to crush the constitution and impose
his power, but he refuses to do so, faced with the political impasse he thinks about abdicating,
Bismarck is then his last chance.
At the end of their meeting, the king covers Bismarck with the functions of Prime Minister
and Minister of Foreign Affairs, the latter undertakes to support the sovereign
in his fight against parliament.
The minister quickly made himself very unpopular in the press and came into direct conflict
with the parliament he despised.
To impose himself, he suspends and transfers officials who speak too liberal, he
also provides money to certain newspapers to ensure their support
and produces an edict which limits the freedoms of the press.
In 1863 the King of Denmark, Frederick VII, announced the integration of the Duchy of Schleswig
into the kingdom, this announcement went against a European treaty that had been signed
ten years earlier.
Bismarck does not miss this opportunity to assert his authority, he signs an alliance with
his Austrian neighbor and poses an ultimatum to Denmark, which is refused.
The German troops then entered the campaign and made the Scandinavians bend in less than a
year, the victories filled the Prussians with pride and public opinion applauded
its Prime Minister, while the parliament approved some of his proposals in
a patriotic spirit.
After many months of negotiations, Prussians and Austrians share the
Danish duchies.
Despite this alliance of circumstance, crises followed one another between the two
German rivals , Bismarck repeatedly accused the Austrians of violating their agreements,
and William I rallied to the opinion of his minister, measures were then taken
in Prussia to that the army is ready in the event of conflict.
At the same time, Bismarck made contact with the Italian government and promised them
Veneto in exchange for a military alliance, an exceptional treaty was then signed,
which was only valid for three months, it then seemed obvious that the Prime Minister
seeks to quickly declare war.
Austria raises its troops in Bohemia and Italy, which Bismarck does
not hesitate to point out as a provocation, and war finally breaks out in June 1866,
but Austria, having to fight on two fronts, bends under the assaults. Prussians and
agreed to sign the peace only two months after the start of the conflict.
Prussia wins the Danish duchies and certain territories in Germany, it also imposes
the dissolution of the German confederation and the establishment of a confederation
of northern Germany under its authority, Austria also loses the Veneto
to the profit from Italy.
Thus, Bismarck becomes the hero of Prussia, during the war he organizes elections
for the parliament, under a patriotic spirit the people offer almost half of the seats
With this war Bismarck signs the end of the European concert, since the other nations
are not not intervened to defend the peace.
With the Austrian defeat, Bismarck has dreams of greatness, he imagines that, carried by an iron will, refuse to capitulate.
unifier of Germany.
But this project has opponents, starting with the southern German states which are
not enthusiastic about the Prime Minister's policy, and France which, as always,
seeks to avoid this unity, or at least to monetize it for a gain. territorial.
In 1866, Bismarck forced the southern states to conclude treaties of alliances
with Prussia, he thus succeeded in strengthening relations with the latter, but at the same time
he eliminated the option of unifying Germany by arms. , he made this choice
because, for him, unity must go through a war with France.
From 1866, Napoleon III claimed the Duchy of Luxembourg in compensation for the expansion
of Prussian influence over northern Germany.
Unfortunately, the emperor made this request too late, and Bismarck took the opportunity to present
France as a threat to Parliament, finally Napoleon III's request was unsuccessful
and Bismarck's power was further strengthened.
Faced with this diplomatic failure, the emperor convinced himself that a conflict with Prussia
was inevitable, he then sought allies through Austria and Italy,
but although they agreed on the need to an alliance the parties dispute are
unable to find an agreement that would satisfy them all.
Finally, a succession crisis in Spain will allow Bismarck to start his
long-awaited war, following a military coup, the new masters of
the Iberian Peninsula are looking for a sovereign, their choice stops on Léopold de Hohenzollern ,
a member of the Prussian royal family.
Napoleon III cannot accept to see Spain fall under Prussian influence, he is opposed
to this choice and public opinion supports him, while the parliament and the press are
seized with a war fever against Germans.
The King of Prussia, wishing to avoid war, agrees to withdraw the Prussian candidacy,
but Bismarck, far from putting up with this conciliatory policy, publishes a press release
in which he makes everyone believe that the French ambassador was humiliated in Berlin .
Faced with this announcement, French popular opinion flares up and everyone is calling
for war.
The next day, France decreed general mobilization, and five days later she declared
war on Prussia, thus appearing as the aggressor in the eyes of the
whole of Europe
. However, the price of this aggression is heavy because the German states of the south do
not hesitate to honor their treaty of alliance with Prussia, which offers a strong
numerical superiority to the Germans, while the Austrians and the Italians refuse to intervene
alongside France.
The battles quickly turn into German victories, and Napoleon III is
captured in Sedan less than two months after the start of the conflict, the Second Empire collapses
at the same time and the Republic is proclaimed in Paris, a Republic that does
not count. capitulate, which surprises Bismarck.
The latter then wishes to reestablish the empire in France, but Napoleon III refuses to be
reinstated at the cost of territorial loss for his country.
The Prime Minister does everything to shorten the war in order to avoid an external
intervention , but he comes up against the staff who want to crush the enemy and the French
Carried away by his frustration, Bismarck multiplies the massacres as in Ablis on the 8th October.
Peace was finally discussed on February 20 in Versailles and on May 10, with
the Treaty of Frankfurt, France ceded Alsace and Northern Lorraine as well as a
gigantic war indemnity .
The German Empire is proclaimed on January 18 in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles,
in the form of a federal state in which the small German monarchies retain
broad powers.
German unity is allowed thanks to the common victory of the German states over
France, as Bismarck had foreseen.
Bismarck quickly realizes that he made mistakes in his war, not only does
the conquest of Alsace-Lorraine stir up a spirit of revenge in France, which
could encourage a new conflict that would endanger the very young unit
German, but in addition the new French republic takes barely more than two years
to pay the reparations of wars to Prussia, a speed which worries the Prime
Minister.
He came to the conclusion that, to safeguard German unity, he had to isolate
France so that it would be incapable of provoking a new war, destroyer
of the European concert, Bismarck, with his new role as Chancellor. of the Reich, will then
become the most fervent defender of European peace.
For this, he begins by encouraging the republicans in their struggle against the monarchists,
a France led by a republic would be hard pressed to find an ally in a
Europe full of sovereigns.
He will also seek to seize the potential allies of Paris, he begins
by founding the agreement of the three emperors with François-Joseph of Austria and Tsar
Alexander II, this one foresees that the three sovereigns will have to consult together and not not
take military action against each other.
Despite everything, from 1875 Berlin was worried about the rapid recovery of France and
the military reforms that it was carrying out, Bismarck then launched a
press campaign against the dangers of French recovery while the German General Staff
seriously proposes the idea of a preventive war.
But international opinion does not support the Chancellor, the British let it be known
that a new French defeat is unacceptable and the Russians share this
idea.
In addition, the understanding of the three emperors is fragile, and a crisis in the Balkans places
Austria and Russia on a war footing, Bismarck takes advantage of this crisis to make
the Reich the diplomatic center of Europe, he makes hold a congress in Berlin in 1878
where Russians, Austrians and British managed to separate the Balkans.
Despite everything, the Tsar considers himself the big loser of this congress, he protests
against the policy of Bismarck, the latter dissatisfied with the situation favors his relations
with Austria and signs with the emperor Franz Joseph an alliance, the duplicate,
in 1879.
This provides that the Reich will bring its support to the Austrians in the event of Russian
aggression , the chancellor intends to put pressure on Russia with this treaty to encourage
a three-party diplomacy.
The death of Tsar Alexander II in 1881 favors this, the same year the agreement of the three
emperors is reestablished, the Reich and Austria-Hungary also allied with Italy in 1882,
thus founding the Triplice.
At the same time, Bismarck encourages French colonial expansion, he seeks to divert it
from Europe and hopes that this will cause tensions with Great Britain, avoiding
a rapprochement between the two nations.
In 1885, the Berlin conference was organized during which the European powers
separated from Africa.
Bismarck also organizes a Mediterranean agreement between the English, Italians, Austrians and Spaniards,
this agreement aims to limit Russian influence in the sea, without forgetting that France
is excluded from it.
This treaty further aggravates relations between Russia and Germany.
Despite everything, Bismarck is not immortal.
The new Emperor, William II, gets rid of this old chancellor whom he considers a little
too cumbersome in 1890, and takes back the foreign policy of his empire in hand, starting
by breaking the agreement with Russia.
This reversal of the jacket throws the Empire of the Tsars into the arms of Republican France,
despite their gigantic differences, there is no source of conflict between the
two nations, and concern for the Reich encourages this alliance.
Great Britain also rallies to this idea, it does not appreciate the economic
competition of Germany and operates a rapprochement with France, without
signing an alliance.
Anyway, the policy of Bismarck, although it destroyed the European concert
set up by the Congress of Vienna, made it possible to avoid all the potential conflicts
between the big five from 1871 to 1914, that is to say 43 years of uninterrupted peace.
In total, the great European powers will have shared only six wars with each
other, or less than seven years of conflict, in a century.
This stability is an anomaly in the history of Europe, it will end with the outbreak
of the deadliest conflict in its history, the First World War, including the Treaty
of Versailles, far from taking the example of the Congress of Vienna, will prepare Europe
for an even more deadly war.
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