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Primary sourceDocument1887

Reinsurance Treaty

Otto von Bismarck; Herbert von Bismarck; Nikolay Girs · 1887

A secret 1887 treaty between Germany and Russia negotiated by Bismarck to keep France isolated and Europe at peace.

Bismarck was the architect behind this secret treaty, part of his strategy to isolate France and balance Russia and Austria-Hungary.

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Source: Wikisource

About this source

What it is

The Reinsurance Treaty was a secret agreement between the German Empire and Russian Empire, in effect from 1887 to 1890. It was signed by Bismarck's son Herbert, acting as German Secretary of State, and Russian ambassador Count Schouvaloff, with the backing of Chancellor Otto von Bismarck.

Why it matters

The treaty was central to Bismarck's system of alliances, designed to prevent France and Russia uniting against Germany. Each side promised neutrality if the other went to war with a third power, with exceptions for attacks on France or Austria-Hungary. After Bismarck's dismissal in 1890, his successors refused to renew it, pushing Russia toward an alliance with France instead — a shift historians see as a step toward later conflict.

Look closer

  • Why did Bismarck want this treaty kept secret from the public?
  • What does the lapse of the treaty after 1890 suggest about how much German policy depended on Bismarck personally?
  • Whose interests were balanced against whose in this agreement?

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