Germany’s Dual Alliance with Austria-Hungary 1879

• In 1866 Prussia had gone to war with Austria-Hungry as Bismarck hadn’t wanted to tie the new Germany to, what he called, a decaying power
• By 1878 German relations with Russia were strained due to Bismarck being the most vocal opposition to Russia’s ambitions in the Balkans during the Congress of Berlin that year
• Austria-Hungry was a natural ally as they too were worried about Russian influence in the Balkans