What new contradictions arose between the European powers in the second half of the 19th century?

After Franco’s Prussian War, it became clear that France would not accept a shameful defeat and would seek opportunities for revenge. With dismay, she looked at the emergence in the center of Europe of the powerful German Empire and Great Britain. The British, accustomed to considering themselves the “main” power of Europe and the world, could not allow such a sharp rise in Germany. This hastened the Anglo-French rapprochement, which had been outlined even earlier.
For some time it seemed that the alliance of Germany and Russia would become a counterbalance to the future bloc of Great Britain and France (possibly also Austria – Hungary). These states have provided assistance to each other more than once. In particular, Otto von Bismarck supported Russia when she at the London Conference (1871) demanded that the conditions of the Paris Treaty (1856) be canceled. But Russia too was alarmed by the strengthening of Germany and wanted to have it. reliable allies in case of conflict with her.