How did the Alliance System help cause WW1?

The other
answers here do a good job of explaining how the alliance system made a major conflict all but
avoidable. One detail that made the alliance system between the European powers particularly
dangerous was that some of it was conducted in secret. In particular, Germany and the
Austro-Hungarian Empire had a secret treaty in place that assured Germany would come to the aid
of its southern neighbor in case of an attack by Russia and vice-versa. This arrangement had
been made in 1879 but was not tested until Russia attacked the Austro-Hungarians in
1914.

While the existence of this alliance was leaked in 1883, the details
of it remained secret. This might...

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