Discuss the impact of Germany’s foreign policy on the balance of power in Europe in the period 1870-1914.
Before discussing the impact of Germany’s foreign policy on the balance of power in
Europe in the period 1870-1914. I would like to define what the balance of power is.
From the period 1870 to 1914, the balance of power can be defined as every nation, big or small, had the right to exist, and that no country should be too powerful to threaten the security of other countries. To be precise, the military equilibrium to be backed up by political, economic and diplomatic powers. General peace could be secured. During 1870-1914, Bismarck and Kaiser Williams II, who were in position of power in different periods, had a different approach towards foreign policy. The basis of Bismarck policy was to maintain the status quo while that of Kaiser William
II was global aggrandizement in nature.
During 1870-1890, the real power, which determined the future destiny of Germany, was held in the hands of Bismarck. Experiencing the hardship of the unification,
Bismarck had adopted a cautious policy. The basis of his foreign policy was to maintain the status quo in order to consolidate what Germany had gained after 1871.
The core of his foreign policy was to isolate France, to avoid unnecessary conflicts and to keep peace between Russia and Austria. The “Bismarckian alliance system” was his agent to fulfill his aim.
Isolating France was the mainspring of his foreign policy. Bismarck firmly believed that France would be the troublemaker to Germany, since France had always wanted to take revenge on Germany after the Franco-Prussian War in 1870. Learning the lesson from History which Frederick the Great was defeated by a coalition of France in 1760, Bismarck was sure that isolating France was urgently necessary. He would also like to be sure that France would