The increasing tensions between the European great powers at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries were caused by the uneven development of the continent. There was rivalry among nations for material resources and world markets, each great power endeavoring to control foreign territories and the seas which allowed for colonial expansion. The manifestation of the European military-political polarization was the formation of two military groups: the Triple Entente, which developed gradually, from 1893-1907, the basis of which allied Russia with France; then the United Kingdom and later Italy, Serbia, Belgium and the US. The Triple Alliance was an already existing pact of Germany and Austria-Hungary, which Italy joined in 1883. After the outbreak of war in 1914, Italy declared neutrality, but in 1915 entered the war on the side of the Triple Entente.
Italy joined the alliance of Germany and Austria-Hungary because of concerns about isolation and the need for support in North Africa after the French annexation of Tunisia. The first steps towards this alliance were already made in 1881, when a secret agreement with Vienna was concluded to cooperate on the Great Eastern Crisis. Another sign of improving mutual relations was the visit of Italy´s King Umberto to Vienna in October 1881. Bismarck was not inclined at first to form the stronger relationship with Italy, but eventually decided after all the signals which came from St. Petersburg. There was a suspicion that the uprising in Bosnia against Austria-Hungary in 1881 was supported by the Russians. In addition, the German attitude was changed after the Russian-French agreement and the speech of General Skobelev in 1882 in Paris, in which he made panslavistic statements about the inevitable encounter of the „Slavs and Teutons“. On 28 February 1882 Italy was accepted into the alliance and on 31 May 1882 the Triple Alliance was formed by contract in Vienna.
Sources:
ARON, R.: Historie XX. století. Prague 1999. p. 69-71.
BĚLINA, P. / MORAVCOVÁ, D. / PEČENKA, M.: Kapitoly z dějin mezinárodních vztahů 1914-1941, Prague 1994.
PEČENKA, M. / LUŇÁK, P.: Encyklopedie moderní historie, Prague 1999.
SKŘIVAN, S.: Evropská politika 1648-1914, Prague 1999.
SKŘIVAN, A.: Lexikon světových dějin 1492-1914, Prague 2002.
SKŘIVAN, A / KŘIVSKÝ, P.: Století odchází, Prague 2004.
Otto von Bismarck
Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_von_Bismarck#/media/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_146-2005-0057,_Otto_von_Bismarck.jpg
1. What was the name of the italian king who visited Vienna in October 1881?
Umberto I.
Carlo Alberto
Vittorio Emanuele III.
