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By the summer of 1914, Europe had long been divided into two mutually hostile and suspicious power blocs. On one side was the German-dominated bloc- known as the Central Powers. This comprised Germany, Austro-Hungary, Italy, and the Ottoman Empire. On the other hand, there was a bloc that comprised the United Kingdom, France, and the Russian Empire. The Unification of Germany and its victory in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, led to a new balance of power on the continent.<ref> Kramer, Alan. (2014). "Recent Historiography of the First World War-Part I." <i>Journal of Modern European History 121</I> pp: 5-27</ref> Outside of Russia, Germany was by far the most powerful military countryEurope. This and Imperial German diplomatic blunders resulted in the The United Kingdom allying allied themselves with France, to counter any aggression from Berlin. Russia later joined them. Along with Germany's military prowess, the country committed several diplomatic blunders that convinced these powers to counter Germany.  In response, the Germans Germany allied with Austro-Hungry. Bismarck the German Chancellor in the 1870s and other European leaders sought to achieve a balance of power between the powers in Europe. It was hoped in this way to secure international peace. Some believe that such an international system was doomed to failure and this led directly to the outbreak of war.<ref>Hewitson, Mark. (2014). <i>Germany and the causes of the First World War</i>. Bloomsbury Publishing: London, p. 17.</ref>