Question

Name the signatory countries of the Triple Alliance 1882. State the rival block that was formed.

Answer 1

Hint:Italy’s adherence was doubted by the other two countries. So from 1903 plans for the war against Rome were maintained by Austro-Hungarian General Staff.On 18 October 1883 Romania joined the triple alliance secretly. The Roman king Carol 1 was afraid of the Russian expansion so he joined with the triple alliance.The Triple alliance was a defensive alliance, but Austria-Hungary and German had taken the Triple alliance in an offensive way.

Complete answer:
The signature countries of the Triple Alliance were Germany, Italy, and Austria-Hungary. The rival bloc that was formed was known as the triple entente in 1907 (England, France, and Russia).The triple alliance was formed on 20 May 1882 and renewed periodically. The triple alliance expired in 1915 during the First World War. The man responsible for the Triple Alliance was Otto von Bismarck, he was the chancellor of Germany. His goal was to preserve the status quo in Europe so he unified Germany in the year 1871.
 He was concerned about France finding the allies because it helped it to regain Alsace-Lorraine.at the later period of 1870 the Austrian territorial ambitions in both the Italian peninsula and central Europe had been thwarted by the rise of Italy and Germany as new powers. After the failure of the Ottoman Empire the Russia and Austria-Hungary looked at the Slavic discontent in the occupied Balkans as an opportunity to expand their regions. Italy has various motives for joining the existing Austro-German alliance. The conservatives who controlled the Italian government sympathized with the two monarchies. Also the Vatican was protected by the catholic Austria, Italy wanted to absorb it. The main motive of the Italian government to join the Triple alliance was that Italy believed that it would gain some support in case of any foreign aggression.

Note:On account of the Great Balkan Crisis, Bosnia and Herzegovina was occupied by the Austro-Hungarian forces in August 1878.In order to counter French and Russian interests in Europe, an alliance was concluded with Germany in October 1879 and with Italy in May 1882.When Austria-Hungary found itself at war in August 1914 with the rival Triple Entente, Italy proclaimed its neutrality, considering Austria-Hungary the aggressor.