<Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This article needs additional citations for verification . Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed . (June 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This article needs additional citations for verification . Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed . (June 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr> <P> The Dual Alliance was a defensive alliance between Germany and Austria - Hungary, which was created by treaty on 7 October 1879 as part of Bismarck's system of alliances to prevent or limit war . The two powers promised each other support in case of attack by Russia . Also, each state promised benevolent neutrality to the other if one of them was attacked by another European power (generally taken to be France, even more so after the Franco - Russian Alliance of 1894). Germany's Otto von Bismarck saw the alliance as a way to prevent the isolation of Germany and to preserve peace, as Russia would not wage war against both empires . </P> <P> When Austria - Hungary and Germany formed an alliance in 1879, it was one of the more surprising alliances of its time . Though both realms shared the German language and a similar culture, Austria - Hungary and Germany were often driven apart, most notably in the recent Austro - Prussian War . Additionally, the Habsburg rulers of Austria believed that the promotion of nationalism, which was favored by Germany, would destroy their empire . However, their common dislike for Russia brought the two nations together for a common cause . </P>

Who did germany have an alliance with in ww1