... not disrupt the delicate European balance of power. He created an intricate system of treaties, however these often had covert clauses. Von Bismarck realised that there was a lot of tension between Germany and France, so he realised that if he could sign a treaty with one of the other major powers in Europe, he would give Germany some security against a possible French attack. So in 1872 the Dreikaiserbund was signed, which allied Germany, Austria-Hungary and Russia. This later became the Dual Alliance in 1879, but it only involved Germany and Austria-Hungary, due to disputes between Russia over the Balkans. This Dual Alliance promised mutual assistance with any future wars with Russia. It was believed that Von Bismarck had hoped that this agreement would restrain the aims of Austria-Hungary in the Balkans. The German diplomatic system was then strengthened in 1882 when the Triple Alliance was formed. This concerned ...

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