Austria-Hungary, Italy,France, and Great Britain. This change, Hendricksoncontends, was driven by three largely understudied events:the weakening of the British Mediterranean Fleet to providemore ships for the North Sea, Austria-Hungary's decision tobuild a navy capable of operating in the Mediterranean, andItaly's decision to seek naval security in the Triple Allianceafter the Italo-Turkish War. These three factors radicallyaltered the Mediterranean balance of power, forcingBritain and France to come to a mutual accommodationand accelerate ship construction to defend their respectiveinterests in the region. However, the July Crisis and theensuing World War obscured these events, leading laterhistorians to ignore these events.

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