The French and the Germans hated each other (30 Years War, Napoleonic Wars, Franco-Prussian War, you get the picture). Bismarck’s whole foreign policy was built around staying close to the Russians and keeping France as friendless as possible. Wilhelm II kicked that to the curb — what does that old man know, anyway? — resulting in the Franco-Russian alliance and Germany being forced to cozy up to Austria-Hungary as her only real ally.
Wasn’t it the French who tried to conquer Europe a few decades before?