ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a survey of the main political events which occurred in pre-war Europe, that is to say, between 1871 and 1914, showing how the great Powers allied themselves, and the extent to which the Colonial Question, especially the scramble for Africa, influenced these European alliances and alignments. A cursory review of European diplomacy before the World War will serve to show the extent to which conflicts arising out of the scramble for colonies in Africa helped to shape the destinies of pre-war Europe. In the light of the Abyssinian crisis, which has had far-reaching effects upon European diplomacy, it can truly be said that Africa holds the key to the peace of Europe. While France was driven to seek territorial expansion in Africa before the other great Powers, the French bourgeoisie, nevertheless, always had their eyes riveted upon the European scene.
