Triple Alliance (1788) facts for kids
The Triple Alliance was a special agreement made in 1788. It was a military team-up between three powerful countries: Great Britain, Prussia, and the Dutch Republic. Great Britain joined to keep things balanced in Europe. Prussia hoped to gain new lands.
This alliance was mainly formed to stop the Russian Empire. Russia was winning a war against the Ottoman Empire. This victory would make Russia much stronger. But the Triple Alliance never actually fought Russia. Russian diplomats worked hard to stop it. They even caused disagreements in the British government. Because of this, the alliance broke apart. Many people see this as a big win for Russian diplomacy.
Forming the Triple Alliance
In April 1788, Prussia got a loan from the Dutch Republic. This money was for a possible war with Russia. In return, Prussia promised to support the Dutch government. The Dutch government was not very stable at the time.
Then, on August 13, 1788, Great Britain and Prussia signed a military agreement. This agreement was called the Anglo-Prussian military alliance. With this, the Triple Alliance was officially formed.
Great Britain wanted to keep a balance of power in Europe. They worried about the growing strength of France and Russia. They also wanted to keep peace in areas like the Baltics, the Balkans, and the Netherlands.
Prussia had different goals. They hoped to gain new territories. They wanted these lands in the Baltic region. This could happen through war with Russia or through talks with the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.
The Triple Alliance also wanted to limit the power of the Russian Empire and the Austrian Empire. These two empires were allies at the time. Everyone expected a war between the Triple Alliance and Russia around 1791.
How the Alliance Changed
Great Britain did not really want a war. They would have been happy if Russia left its war with the Ottomans without gaining new land. But they knew this was unlikely. In August 1790, British and Prussian diplomats tried to get Russia to talk peace with the Ottomans. But Russia refused.
William Pitt the Younger was the British Prime Minister. He was thinking about taking a strong stance against Russia. Russian Empress Catherine the Great knew this. She ordered her ambassador in London, Semyon Vorontsov, to help Pitt's opponents. One of these opponents was Charles Fox.
Vorontsov and other Russian diplomats worked hard. They even used bribery to get support from important people in Britain. They wanted to stop any action against Russia.
The Dutch Republic was less interested in fighting Russia. Russia owed a lot of money to Dutch bankers. A war could stop these payments. William Eden, 1st Baron Auckland, the British ambassador to the Dutch Republic, was friends with Russian diplomats. He often spoke against fighting Russia.
Britain also failed to improve its ties with the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Poland was friendly with Russia. They did not want to risk this friendship by joining the Triple Alliance. The Russo-Swedish War (1788–1790) also ended. This meant Sweden was no longer a possible ally against Russia.
By early 1791, Prussia made a deal with Austria. Austria agreed to stay neutral if Prussia and Russia went to war. This made Pitt believe Britain should act. He promised Prussia that Britain would send its navy to the Baltic Sea. He also prepared a strong message for Russia. This message told Russia to leave its war with the Ottomans. If not, Britain and Prussia would step in.
By late March, the British King approved this plan. A debate was set for the British Parliament. Meanwhile, Prussia's King, Frederic Wilhelm II, told the Ottomans he wanted to attack Russia. He encouraged them to keep fighting and start a new attack in the Balkans. Prussia had 90,000 soldiers ready at the border. They planned to attack Russia in three places. Russia also prepared its defenses.
Russian diplomats in London worked very hard. They knew the British Parliament debate was important. They spent a lot of money on diplomacy and spreading their message. They got about twenty British newspapers to support them. They also printed many leaflets. These leaflets argued against Pitt's plan to arm Britain against Russia. Many people supported Russia. These included merchants, writers, and members of Parliament like Charles Fox.
Days before the British debate, the Dutch offered to help. They wanted to arrange talks between Russia and the Triple Alliance. The debate started on March 29. The House of Commons voted three times to approve war with Russia. But over the next few days, Pitt's own government changed its mind. The exact reasons for this are not fully clear. Some historians believe Fox and Russian diplomats influenced some government members. Pitt could have formed a new government. But he decided against it. A government crisis could cause big problems.
By mid-April, British policy changed. William Grenville, 1st Baron Grenville became the new Foreign Secretary. Britain was now friendly towards Russia and against France.
A British messenger with the ultimatum for Russia arrived in Berlin. But before he could leave, another messenger stopped him. This new message ordered a delay. It was not until early June that Prussia realized Britain no longer wanted war with Russia. This meant the end of the Triple Alliance.
What Happened Next
The end of the alliance was made official on July 26, 1791. This was a treaty between Britain, the Netherlands, Prussia, and Russia. In this treaty, the Triple Alliance agreed to all of Russia's demands. They accepted Russia's claims to Ottoman lands.
Within two years, all the countries from the Triple Alliance were fighting France. This happened after the French Revolutionary War began.
Historians have not written much about the fall of the Triple Alliance. It was overshadowed by the French Revolution. A war that never started is less interesting than a revolution that changed the world. However, the end of the alliance was a big win for Russian diplomacy. It was also a failure for British diplomacy and for Pitt personally. After this, Pitt stepped back from British foreign policy.
From Poland's point of view, their failure to join the Triple Alliance was a mistake. This made the alliance weaker and Russia stronger. This indirectly led to the fall of Poland. Some Poles wanted an alliance with Great Britain. But King Stanisław August Poniatowski refused to oppose Russia. This decision greatly harmed Poland in the long run.
See also
- Anglo-Prussian alliance (1756)
- Polish-Prussian alliance
- Russo-Turkish War (1787–1792)
