The alliance system

The alliance system, which had kept Germany out of war for so long, has forced us into one. For almost a century after the fall of Napoleon in 1815, Europe has been largely peaceful. Until now. With the Franco-Prussian War, and other revolutions in 1848, the systematic dismantling of unity which has been so supported is now undergoing an ironic dismantling. They tell us Central Europe is growing up! If it is then how come it is pulverizing its own foundation? Now 1871, after over one thousand years of political bickering and jostling, the Germanic states finally unify behind one flag. Led by the will of our dear "Iron Chancellor", Otto Von Bismarck, we have accomplished in a less than a decade what has taken the rest of the major European powers hundreds of years. What is not being told however is the fact that it is all just a facade for Bismark to hide his shameful face behind. We have just undergone the fastest rise of a true world power in modern history. Right now, Italy is idolizing us and trying to unify also. We must not let Italy, nor any other country for that matter, see our true self. We must keep face for old Bismark and not let him down. For if we were to make a slip and show the slightest bit of rebelliousness in our blood, we let down our country and pull the mask off the actor. The unification of Germany was indeed a good idea, but in my opinion, created a strain on Europe. The powers at the edge of Europe (Great Britain, France, and Russia) have been exerting pressure on the center. Now for the first time, the center of Europe is becoming sufficiently powerful to press on the periphery. Bismarck realizes this shift, and its consequences. Almost immediately, he set about creating a system of alliances. They are designed primarily to prevent war and maintain the status quo. The alliance system, which had kept Germany out of war for so long, has forced us into one. Millions of graves are...