The union was sealed when, in December, 1872, the Czar of Russia and Francis Joseph came to Berlin as guests of the Emperor.

There was no signed contract, no written alliance, but the old union of the Eastern monarchies under which a generation before Europe had groaned, was now restored, and on the Continent there was no place to which France could look for help or sympathy.
The years that followed were those in which foreign affairs gave Bismarck least anxiety or occupation.

He even began to complain that he was dull; after all these years of conflict and intrigue he found the security which he now enjoyed uninteresting.

Now and again the shadow of war passed over Europe, but it was soon dispelled.

The most serious was in 1875.
It appears that the French reforms of the army and some movements of French troops had caused alarm at Berlin; I say alarm, though it is difficult to believe that any serious concern could have been felt.
There was, however, a party who believed that war must come sooner or later, and it was better, they said, not to wait till France was again powerful and had won allies; surely the wisest thing was while she was still weak and friendless to take some excuse (and how easy would it be to find the excuse!), fall upon her, and crush her--crush and destroy, so that she could never again raise her head; treat her as she had in old days treated Germany.