(i) Bismarck’s diplomacy: After the Franco-Russian War of 1870. the German chancellor, Bismarck used diplomatic policies to keep France isolated. (ii) Division of Europe into two Hostile groups: On one hand there was single nation states like France, Holland and Germany whose national identities were based on their common language apd tradition. The Russian empire included territories populated by Polish, Ukrainian, Turkish and Mongol populations. (iii) Armament Race: In order to protect her colonies in Africa and a few islands in Pacific, Germany began to build a powerful navy with a view to achieve parity with Britain.