Schönbrunn Convention: content and meaning

The Schönbrunn Convention became the most important stage in the formation of one of the most famous European political and military alliances in the last third of the 19th century. The signing of this document was preceded by the rapprochement of the Russian Empire with Germany and Austria-Hungary. At the time being, the foreign policy position of our country in the international arena was extremely difficult due to the defeat in the war, so the signing of the document in question was of fundamental importance for its withdrawal from isolation.

Prerequisites

The Schönbrunn Convention is a treaty between Russia and Austria-Hungary, signed in order to maintain neutrality between the parties to the agreement. However, in order to understand its meaning and significance, it is necessary to briefly outline the conditions in which our country found itself after its defeat in the Crimean War. Its results undermined the prestige of the empire in the European arena largely due to the fact that the state lost the right to keep the navy in the Black Sea. Perhaps this was the hardest blow for the country. For twenty years after the end of the war, Germany in many ways contributed to overcoming Russia's international isolation, in which it found itself after the defeat. Relations with Austria-Hungary were more complicated in many respects because of the fact that the interests of states were encountered in the Balkans. Nevertheless, in the early 1870s, there was a rapprochement between these states.

Introduction and first point

The Schönbrunn Convention (the year of signature - 1873) includes a number of important provisions on the regulation of relations between our country and Austria-Hungary. The document opens with a fairly lengthy introduction, in which both emperors speak of their desire to support universal peace on the continent and take all necessary measures to maintain it. This statement sounded very significant in the post-war decade, when many still remembered the consequences of the Crimean War. In the first paragraph, the parties stated that in the case of partial disagreements they would adhere to the above general principle on the need to preserve peace and balance on the mainland. Further, the Schoenbrunn Convention provides for the use of military force in the event of any threat of violation of peace and order on the continent. This veiled article implicitly hints at the possibility of joint actions by states in the event of a military threat.

The third and fourth items

In the following article, the emperors make a very important statement that in the event of a threat of attack from a third power, both emperors will first agree on further actions. This point is important because it does not provide mediators in resolving the issue of regulating the military conflict, but, on the contrary, argues that the rulers themselves will directly agree on a joint action against the common enemy.

The Schönbrunn Convention provides for the conduct of hostilities. The document expressly states that if the war starts, both sides will sign an additional pact on joint military operations. This provision testified that our country at the time considered has already emerged from international isolation and was ready to defend its interests in the international arena.

Value

The Schoenbrunn Convention is an important stage in the design of a new military-political bloc on the mainland. The signing of this document was a step in the formation of the Union of Three Emperors: Russia, Germany and Austria-Hungary. Our country took this step in order to oppose this bloc to the Anglo-French influence on the continent. It was all the more important that it was these two countries that were the main opponents of the state in the previous war.

Thus, the Schoenbrunn Convention initiated the legal registration of the union. Briefly, its meaning can be described as follows: it laid the foundation for the division of European political forces into two camps. However, it did not last long: by the end of the 1880s, serious differences were emerging between our country and its allies, primarily because of the Balkan issue. At the same time, Russia began rapprochement with France, which by the end of the century had become one of the main creditors of the Russian economy. This marked the beginning of the design of the new Entente bloc.