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TheDual Alliance (German:Zweibund,Hungarian:Kettős Szövetség) was adefensive alliance betweenGermany andAustria-Hungary, which was created by treaty on October 7, 1879, as part of Germany'sOtto von Bismarck's system of alliances to prevent or limit war.[1] The two powers promised each other support in case of attack by Russia. Also, each state promisedbenevolent neutrality to the other if one of them was attacked by another European power (generally taken to beFrance, even more so after theFranco-Russian Alliance of 1894).Bismarck saw the alliance as a way to prevent the isolation of the German Empire, which had just been founded a few years before, and to preserve peace, as Russia would not wage war against both empires.[2][3]
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When Austria-Hungary and Germany formed an alliance in 1879, it was one of the more surprising alliances of its time.[citation needed] Though both shared the German language and a similar culture, Austria-Hungary and Germany were often driven apart, most notably during the recentAustro-Prussian War. Additionally, the Habsburg rulers believed that the promotion of nationalism, which was favoured by Germany, would destroy their multinational empire. However, their common distrust of Russia brought both empires together for a common cause.[4]
After the formation of the German Empire in 1871, German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck wanted to portray his nation as a peacemaker and preserver of the European status quo, to gain more power for the German Empire and to unify Germany. In 1878, theRussian Empire defeated theOttoman Empire in theRusso-Turkish War. The resultingTreaty of San Stefano gave Russia considerable influence in theBalkans, a development that outraged Austria-Hungary, Russia's chief rival in the Balkan region (despite being an ally of the Russians and the Germans in theLeague of the Three Emperors). Hence, in 1878, Bismarck called an international conference (theCongress of Berlin) to sort out the problem. TheTreaty of Berlin that resulted from the conference reversed Russia's gains from the Treaty of San Stefano and provided the Austrians with compensation in the form ofBosnia. Despite Bismarck's attempts to play the role of an "honest broker" at the Congress of Berlin, Russo-German relations deteriorated following the conference. The Three Emperors' League was discontinued, and Germany and Austria-Hungary were free to ally against Russia.[5]
In 1881,Italy lost in the competition with France to establish a colony in Tunis (nowTunisia). To enlist diplomatic support, Italy joined Germany and Austria-Hungary to form theTriple Alliance in 1882.
DuringWorld War I, however, Italy did not go to war immediately with its allies but stayed neutral. In 1915, it joined the Entente powers and declared war on Austria-Hungary and, in 1916, against Germany. The Dual Alliance persisted throughout the war as part of theCentral Powers and ended with their defeat in 1918.
The full text ofDual Alliance (1879) at Wikisource - a translation
