"The war against Russia is suicide": "Iron Phase" Otto von Bismarck warned of something

In 1871, a powerful state appeared on the map of Europe, the German Empire, which in its formation successfully seized territory from its neighbors. There was a threat of war between Germany and Russia, but Reich Chancellor Otto von Bismarck was afraid to do so.

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Bismarck's dealings with Russia began in January 1859, when he was sent to Prussia's ambassador to St. Petersburg. For Bismarck, other diplomats may have seen this as a promotion that actually meant exile. His convictions ran counter to Prussian foreign policy, so the discredited diplomat was expelled from Berlin because he had all the qualities to successfully deal with the role of special envoy.

Bismarck spent less than three years in Russia, but the Russian delegation largely predetermined the political priorities of a future prime minister. As early as the very beginning of his work in St. Petersburg, Bismarck began to learn Russian, first on his own and then with law student Vladimir Alekseev.

Once Bismarck witnessed the dialogue between Russian Emperor Alexander II and Foreign Minister Alexander Gorchakov. The Tsar inadvertently saw the lukewarm look in the Prussian envoy's eyes and asked, "Do you know Russian?" Bismarck's answer was yes.

The four-month course was enough for him to learn to grasp the main meaning of the conversation and speak in a language that is rather difficult for foreigners to understand. Curiously, even after becoming head of the Prussian government, Bismarck wrote his resolutions in Russian, sometimes inserting words such as "impossible" or "careful" that were mysterious to Germans.

During his time in St. Petersburg, Bismarck always struggled to understand the political and secular life of the country, reading Russian literature and periodicals, including I.S. Turgenev's Nest of Nobility and A.I. Herzen. He had close ties with Gorchakov and was the only foreign ambassador with close ties to the royal family. This gave him a good opportunity to get to know Russia better and in the future - an undeniable advantage in his diplomatic career.

Bismarck has always been respected in Russia, both when he was a diplomat and when he became prime minister. The Germans paid the Russians in kind, trying to formulate his international policy in a way that would have the least negative impact on Russia.

We don't need war

Germany had become an empire, surpassing Denmark, Austria, and France in military and diplomatic terms, but Bismarck understood that his country was still not capable of dominating Europe. The idea of unifying all Germans as one nation was never put into practice, which was strongly opposed by the Habsburg Empire. The "Iron Phase" feared reprisals from France.

Considering Germany's centrality in Europe, and the real threat of being drawn into a two-front war as a result, Bismarck laid down the rules he followed throughout his political career: "A strong Germany seeks peaceful life and peaceful development." ”

In response to the arguments of some German politicians about a possible confrontation with Russia (there are enough moments of controversy between the two great powers), the chancellor pointed to the negative experiences of the Polish nation. Bismarck assured that the Viability of the Russians would be much higher. He urged the German military to see Russia as a source of continued threats — a path that leaves nowhere to be found.

The only reasonable solution for the "Steel Prime" is reconciliation with Russia. This is the focus of his diplomatic efforts. On March 13, 1871, Germany signed the London Convention with representatives of the major European powers, which abrogated the Treaty of Paris, which had been signed a year earlier, which prohibited Russia from owning a navy in the Black Sea.

In 1872, at Bismarck's initiative, the three emperors of Germany, Russia and Austria held a meeting. The details of a joint response to the dangers of the revolution were discussed. Bismarck made it clear that in addition to the external threat, there was an internal threat that put the differences between European monarchies in the background.

Bismarck knew what he was talking about. At the turn of the 1860s and 1870s, radical socialism gained strength in Germany with the aim of overthrowing the supreme power. Socialists responded to bismarck's repressive new legislation, assassinating the emperor twice and the prime minister himself once.

Hidden confrontation

As the status of a unified German state strengthened, it began to diverge from Russia's political path. Bismarck increasingly allowed unflattering remarks about his Russian colleague Gorchakov. The Berlin Congress has put relations between the two countries on the brink of conflict.

On July 13, 1878, representatives of the great powers establishing new borders in Europe signed a treaty in Berlin. Britain, Austria, and Turkey were dissatisfied with the Santo Stefano Peace Treaty, which summarized the outcome of the Russo-Turkish War, and through German mediation, forced Russia to make concessions.

According to the thesis, most of the territory conquered by Russia was divided between Turkey and Austria, especially in the southern region of Bulgaria, the autonomous provinces came under the jurisdiction of the Turkish Sultan, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire agreed to occupy Bosnia and Herzegovina. Russia also abandoned bayazet and the Aashket valleys.

Against the backdrop of painful concessions, anti-German sentiment in Russia intensified, and economic relations between the two countries deteriorated sharply. The Prussian Junkers opposed the supply of Russian grain, and the Russian capitalists opposed the import of German manufactured goods. Both countries have raised tariffs.

In the future, the "Iron Chancellor" blocked the Russian loans needed when Germany transferred gold rubles to the Tsarist government. Whatever Bismarck's feelings about Russia, he simply didn't need a strong neighbor.

On October 7, 1879, Germany concluded a "common treaty" with Austria-Hungary, which pushed russia to ally with France. Many historians say it was a fatal mistake by Bismarck, who undermined close ties with the Russian government. From then on, fierce rivalry between Russia and Germany began, which did not end even after Alexander III ascended the throne.

Bismarck continued to put pressure on Russia. He particularly supported the candidacy of Prince Ferdinand of Coburg, who opposed the Russian emperor and proclaimed the Bulgarian throne. At the same time, the general staff of both empires began to make plans for the coming war.

There are no feet in Russia

A protracted confrontation between Russia and Germany has the potential to lead both sides to a dead end. The prospect of war did not attract anyone. "The preventive war against Russia was suicide out of fear of death," Bismarck said figuratively. In addition, the prime minister is completely confused by the system of alliances he is building.

By June 1887, in the diplomatic circles of Berlin and St. Petersburg, the plan for a secret agreement between the two countries had matured, which was finally signed by Chancellor Bismarck and Russian Ambassador Pavel Shuvalov. Under the Reinsurance Agreement, Russia and Germany are obliged to remain neutral if either party to the agreement goes to war with a third party, unless Germany attacks France or Russia attacks Austria-Hungary.

The treaty was accompanied by a special protocol under which Germany would provide diplomatic assistance to Russia if the Russian Emperor deemed it necessary to occupy the strait in order to "preserve the keys to his empire". In response, the Russian government gave Germany complete freedom of action against France.

If Germany had abandoned the use of force to settle its dispute with Russia for a while, austria-Hungary was still nurturing the idea. In the spring of 1888, Bismarck announced that the officers of the Austrian General Staff planned to go to war in the autumn of that year. In response to the attack on the Austro-Hungarian Foreign Minister, Count Carnocky— "Russia will be defeated" — Bismarck pointed out that this was unlikely. According to the prime minister, even the most prosperous outcome of the war will never lead to the collapse of the Russian state.

In his memoirs written in the last years of his life, Bismarck paid special attention to Russia. The prime minister cautioned his contemporaries and future generations not to act rashly: "Don't expect to reap the dividends forever once Russia's weaknesses are exploited." Don't rely on the Jesuit agreements you sign to justify you. They are not worth writing on the paper on it. So it's worth it to either play honestly with the Russians or not at all