France_&_The_Coming_Of_The_First_World_War

France & The Coming Of The First World War The time prior to World War I brought many changes to Europe. The creation of two alliance systems was perhaps the biggest change to affect all of Europe. The Triple Entente of Great Britain, France, and Russia brought a balance to Europe. Great Britain, a country that had previously believed in isolationism, was especially important in the formation of the entente. “They (France and Russia) had to be certain of Britain, whose participation ‘would be fatal for Germany….’” The Triple Alliance of Germany, Italy, and Austria-Hungary had one major player: Germany. The alliance between France and Britain, while unlikely at the time, made sense. France and Britain had been colonial rivals for a long time. France needed allies if she were to enter a European war. Already facing domestic and political problems, France was also surrounded by enemies by the beginning of the War. An entente between France and Russia in 1892 gave France some protection. This alliance also scared Germany into the thought of a two-front war. Great Britain believed in isolationism. An alliance between Great Britain and Japan in 1902 decreased Britain’s naval needs in the war, france, germany, europe, britain, russia, alliance, great, while, time, world, french, entente, been, army, 1914, triple, strength, political, major, government, first, before, thought, take, russian, president, prepared, people, new, made, long, italy, inevitable