There had been no war between any of these great powers since the Franco-German war of 1870-71. There had been disputes between them, usually over questions outside Europe. Threats had been exchanged, but there had been no serious mobilisation of rival forces since the conflict between Russia and Great Britain over Constantinople in 1878 had brought the two powers close to war. This remarkable run of peace had been achieved virtually without formal organization.
(...) For most of the time, however, international relations seemed to run themselves. In this liberal age, men came to assume that political relations between states, like economic relations between individuals, were governed by a beneficent law of nature, and that if each state, like each individual, pursued its own interests, the good of all would be achieved. In international affairs there was a special law, known as the balance of power. This, too, was supposed to be self-operating.
Taylor, A J P (2013-06-19). War by Timetable: How the First World War Began. Endeavour Press Ltd.. Kindle Edition.
Это было до того как политики начали активно подчеркивать свою рукводящую роль, и вмешиваться в сбалансированный процесс, руководимый самой природой. И как только они начали активно вмешиваться, все пошло плохо.
