League of the Three Emperors - Definition and Overview

League of the Three Emperors ("Dreikaiserbund") 1873

• Creation of a Conservative league between Germany, Russia and Austria
• Post Franco-Prussian War
• Alliance against radicals

Conservatives in the three countries were wary of the growing threat (as they perceived it) of liberalism and so created a league of nations that would protect their more conservative forms of government.

At that time:

• Germany had a Kaiser;
• Austria-Hungary had an emperor; and
• Russia had a tsar who claimed divine right.

The league was resurrected in 1881 but soon fell apart and after 1894 Russia found itself in the opposing camp with France.