instance, by 1891, France and Russia, two nations traditionally opposed to each other and had gone to war twice in the 19th century, allied with one another for protection against the alliance between Germany and Austria-Hungary (Ross 13). The emergence of Germany as a European power caused other political changes in Europe and offset the balance that had existed in Europe since 1815. Several nations were unclear on how to react to Germany and others disagreed on whether to accept Germany as a dominant power in continental Europe (Ross 29). The other major effect of the unification of Germany was that after the humiliating defeat in the Franco-Prussian war, France was fearful of Germany. France also feared that the Dual Alliance between Germany and Austria-Hungary would form a huge German-speaking empire in Europe. This fear of Germany led to Frances alliance with Russia and its rivalry with Germany, two factors which helped bring about World War I. In addition, the Franco-Prussian War left France wanting revenge against Germany and they saw a European war as an opportunity for payback. The chaos and confusion of the European nations after the unification of Germany dismantled the political stability of Europe that was created at the Congress of Vienna.The inability of Austria-Hungary and Russia to peacefully work out their differences over the Balkans also caused political turmoil in Europe. Both nations had legitimate claims to the Balkan region and both wanted those lands for political, commercial, and cultural reasons. Russia wanted these lands because it saw itself as the protector of the Slavic people in the Balkans, known as its Pan-Slavism policy, and it wanted control of the straits between the Mediterranean and the Black sea (Baldwin 32). Austria, who already controlled some Balkan nations, wanted control of the straits and was trying to gain more nations for more power over that region of Europe (Baldwin 33). These difference...
