In 1882 Germany,
Austria-Hungary
and Italy
formed the Triple
Alliance. The three countries agreed to support each other if
attacked by either France
or Russia.
France felt threatened by this alliance. Britain
was also concerned by the growth in the German
Navy and in 1904 the two countries signed the Entente Cordiale
(friendly understanding). The objective of the alliance was to encourage
co-operation against the perceived threat of Germany.
Three
years later, Russia,
who feared the growth in the German
Army, joined Britain
and France
to form the Triple Entente. The Russian government was also concerned
about the possibility of Austria-Hungary increasing the size of its empire. It therefore made promises to help Serbia
if it was attacked by members of the Triple
Alliance.
Created on ... août 20, 2003