A military alliance is a formal agreement between nations, which promises the defence of all of its signatories according to the terms laid out in the agreement. Some historians argued that alliances did not disempower governments or lead to automatic declarations of war and that the authority to declare war was wielded only by the national leaders.

a b "Russia now has right to build military bases in eastern Ukraine - treaties". Reuters. 22 February 2022. A meeting named “The Congress of Vienna”, held in 1815, helped establish an informal system of diplomacy, which was defined by national boundaries in a bid to ease tensions and prevent wars and revolutions. The First Treaty of London, also known as the Convention of 1839, while not strictly speaking an alliance, is mentioned here given its importance in the events leading up to World War I.The most detailed and comprehensive study of wartime clandestine operations conducted in Norway yet published. Highly readable and thoroughly researched.” Nigel West, intelligence historian The alliance system is a mutually beneficial formal agreement between two or more nations, which can be economic, political or military in nature. ENTENTE CORDIALE. In 1904, France and Britain entered a ‘friendly agreement’. It was a number of agreements between Britain and France, and by signing this treaty, the two nations ended a century of hostility. It should be noted that the Entente was not a military alliance, and neither nations pledged military support to the other. It, however, felt like a step forward.

A fascinating account of Anglo-Norwegian cooperation in the heroic struggle against German occupation.” Andy McNab Despite their common language and similar culture, the alliance was not necessarily seen as an obvious one at the time, and was primarily brought about due to their mutual concerns over Russia’s growing influence in the Balkans. Norway is a vast country with largely inhospitable terrain. Hard enough to occupy, it proved even more challenging to penetrate while under Nazi rule.

There is no doubt that the alliance system played its part in the road to war, but it is important that its role as one of the four causes of WW1 is not over exaggerated. After all, the whole point of an alliance system is to prevent war and maintain the balance of power, not to start one. Brings some clarity to a complex picture of codenamed operations and agents … [a] meticulous and enjoyable account.” RUSI Journal Having spent much of the nineteenth century as enemies, the Anglo-Russian Convention went a long way to ease tensions between Britain and Russia, but was also seen as a starting point to quell Germany’s aspirations in the Middle East.