It was not an alliance, but a multilateral treaty that recognized Belgium as an independent and neutral state, obtained after the separation of the Region from the Southern Region in the 1830s. These were several European countries considered to be great powers, whose nations were Great Britain and Prussia. When German troops invaded Belgium after the assassination of Franz Ferdinand in 1914, the British considered it a violation of the treaty they signed. After the assassination of Archduke François Ferdinand of Austria-Este (1863-1914) in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914, debates about the reaction of the Habsburg monarchy in a small circle of Austro-Hungarian leaders reflected their experience of the pitfalls of alliance politics. Not being willing to give Italy a say in the future settlement of business in Serbia and to be wary of its loyalty, they tried to leave Rome in the dark about their plans and negotiations with Berlin in the early stages of the July crisis. It turned out that Italian sources passed on to Russia evidence of Austria`s imminent action against Serbia. As far as Germany is concerned, there was no alternative to check Berlin`s attitude in advance. William II, German emperor (1859-1941), had renounced on previous occasions the right of Germany to judge the relevance of Austrian policy that could trigger the casus foederis, which Bismarck had always refused. However, Vienna had been abandoned by Germany in 1912-1913, as soon as the crisis with Russia escalated. In July 1914, it was therefore important to obtain German authorization in advance and to ensure that it was not withdrawn at a later date.
The German “blank cheque” was the necessary condition for the Austrian-Hungary policy in the July crisis. When Berlin`s efforts to protect the Triple Agreement from interference in the Austro-Serbian conflict failed and Russian military measures warned the German General Staff against a possible war of great power, Germany`s belated attempts to demand more flexible management of the Austrian crisis raised fears of a second war in Vienna in 1912. They were as informative as they were unfounded. It was the French who insisted on a written agreement. In August 1892, the two staffs signed a military agreement that was to be approved by an exchange of diplomatic notes. Thus, on January 4, 1894, the agreement between the staffs became an alliance treaty. As in the case of the Duale Alliance, the Franco-Russian alliance was defensive. Russia has pledged its support with all available forces in the event of an attack by Germany or Italy with the help of Germany against France. The French would do the same if Russia were attacked by Germany or Austria with the support of Germany. Unlike the Treaties of the Duale Alliance or the Triple Alliance, the Franco-Russian agreement was more militaryly specific. Article 2 governed mobilization and detachment: for a long time, Italy and France competed for the creation of a colony in Tunisia.
In the end, Italy lost the race and wanted to win diplomatic support. In 1882, Italy joined Germany and Austria-Hungary to create the Triple Alliance.