Why did europe divide into 2 armed camps before WWI?

Question

why did Europe divide into two camps, when, and what were the 2 camps?

if anyone knows, this would be of much help.

thank you to anyone who replies = )

Answer 1

One word; Imperialism.

Answer 2

Germany, the growing power of middle Europe, was wary of the renewed strength of France and of its alliance with the Russians, threatening the German empire on both sides, and thought it was now while it was still the strongest or never be able to get rid of that double threat. And on the way it intended to snip off some of the best industries of France (metal and coal in the north) and ask for another huge ransom and ruin France for another few years (see 1870 war), destroying that annoying new industrial power.

Next door the Austria -Hungarian empire was running into trouble, and the bigger trouble makers were the Serbs who were agitating and making a lot of trouble in the whole empire, helped in that by the Russians. So when they had the opportunity they turned on the Serbs. Austria knew its power was weakening steadily and thought this was now or lose its hold on central Europe forever. So German and Austrian Empires thought it was a good idea to ally.

Great Britain did not like to see the growing power of Germany, especially on the sea, and breaking with blood bond (royalties were cousins) and tradition they allied with the French, both to have a strong ally in Continental Europe and a friendly land that would serve as a shield against a German attack.

What neither Austrian and German Empire expected was :

1)that the alliances would hold. That the British Empire would hold to its word and keep its alliance with France who until a few years back had been the hereditary enemy

2)that the French would hold against the first attack of their huge army until the British came to help.

The declining Ottoman empire wanted to get back at Russia and thought it a good idea to court the German Empire. So when the Germans offered an alliance after the murder of the Austrian Archduke while turning against the Russians, the Turks jumped at the occasion.

The rest is history. The alliances were so interlocked that suddenly everyone found themselves declaring war right and left and Europe became a huge battlefield.