s brought Russia and Austria-Hungary into conflict with each other and created a strong tension between these nations which pushed then towards war. Tensions like these further upset the political stability of Europe.When the delegates at the Congress of Vienna redrew the map of Europe, they kept England separated from continental Europe. England was not involved in many of the affairs of the other major European powers. However, the 19th century marked the end of British isolation from the rest of Europe (Ross 14). By 1900, the British government no longer looked upon its isolation as splendid, but instead it was dangerous for a country to be without an ally in case of war. England was particularly fearful of a war due to imperial rivalries because it had such a large empire (Ross 14). By 1904, Britain had formed treaties with Japan and Russia, essentially forming the Triple Entente of Britain, France and Russia against Germany and Austria-Hungary. By forming alliances with other European nations, Britain made the continent of Europe more politically unstable.For centuries, the Turkish Empire had dominated the Balkan Peninsula. The Turkish domination of this area was vital to maintain the stability of Europe set by the Congress of Vienna. By the late 1800s, Turkish power in the Balkans had been dramatically weakened. Several countries, including Greece and Serbia, had already gained independence from the Ottoman Empire and slowly this former European power was disintegrating (Lafore 53-54). With the Ottoman Empire no longer being a dominant power, the political stability of Europe was affected. In addition, the lack of Turkish influence in the Balkans opened up the region for other countries to take over (Lafore 54). Conflicts over who controlled the Balkans arose often, especially between Russia and Austria-Hungary as stated before, and created more tension between the European nations.By 1900, the political unrest in Europe was mount...
