League of the Three Emperors
The Three Emperors agreement was a Konsultativpakt between the three monarchies in Russia, Austria - Hungary and the German Empire.
It was signed on October 22, 1873 in Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna by Emperor Wilhelm I, Emperor Franz Joseph I and Alexander II. The Three Emperors agreement was based on a signed between the Russian and the Austrian emperor on June 6, 1873 military convention ( Schönbrunn Convention), the William I joined on 22 October 1873.
The agreement was concluded in order to fix the currently prevailing in Europe a state of peace around him and against all shocks, the side from which they may come to save, and if necessary to enforce, but was actually only a promise of three rulers by direct eliminate personal understanding any differences. It was not a guarantee pact, but became the foundation of the alliance policy of Otto von Bismarck. The Three Emperors' agreement was, apart from some vague remarks about the spread of socialism in Europe, nothing more than a well-intentioned will rally based on the beliefs of conservative solidarity. For Otto von Bismarck in preventing a possible isolation of Germany to a minor diplomatic price.
The Agreement was obtained by Bismarck, to have both parties under better control and prevent a rapprochement of Russia in France. Thus Bismarck scored an important goal of his foreign policy, namely the isolation of France.
In the Balkan crisis ( 1876-78 ) Bismarck's failed foreign policy. Because the agreement broke when Russia began the insurgents in the European part of the Ottoman Empire, and finally to support this attack, while from the perspective of Britain and the Austro-Hungarian Empire took too little consideration to their interests.
1881 Bismarck tried again rapprochement between Russia and France to stop by, he obtained a renewal of the contract, which resulted in the so-called Three Emperors' League. This covenant was part of Bismarck's alliance system and ordered the three powers to benevolent neutrality in the event of an unprovoked attack against one of the powers of a fourth power. Given the worsening antagonism between Austria and Russia in the Balkans his extension was 1887 become impossible.
To compensate for and against the rapprochement between France and Russia was concluded with the Russian Empire, the so-called Reinsurance Treaty, which Germany and Russia committed to benevolent neutrality in an unprovoked attack by France against Germany or Austria against Russia.