A formal agreement or treaty between two or more nations to collaborate for specified aims is the definition of an alliance system. A system of alliances can also be defined as a contract between individuals, families, or businesses. However, the term alliance system is most frequently applied to historical events in which an accord was formed to prevent the beginning of war or to set territorial boundaries.
The start of World War I is the best illustration of how an alliance system operates. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, an heir to the Austrian crown, was the first cause of this conflict. Due to the fact that a Serbian national was responsible for the assassination, Austria-Hungary and Serbia declared war on one other.
The involvement of the United States and European nations in this event is a result of the alliance structures that existed at the time. For instance, as a result of an existing alliance with Serbia, Russia became involved in the conflict. Similarly, a treaty connected Germany to Austria as an ally, therefore Austria too became engaged.
In addition, because France was associated with Russia and Britain was allied with France, these nations also became engaged. All of the main nations had treaties with one another that determined their alignment in the event of war, which ultimately led to a global conflict.
