Central Powers

From Metapedia

The Central Powers were the states of Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria, which fought against the Allies during World War I. They were located between the Russian Empire in the east and France and the United Kingdom in the west.

Germany and Austria-Hungary became allies on 7 October 1879, being joined by Italy on 20 May 1882, forming the Triple Alliance. At the beginning of the war, the German and Austro-Hungarian request of Italian intervention was rejected by the Italian Government based on the fact that Austria had declared war on Serbia, seen by Italy as an agressive act. Italy later entered World War I on 23 May 1915, on the Allies' side.

Following the outbreak of European war in August 1914, the Ottoman Empire intervened at the end of October against Russia, provoking declarations of war by the Triple Entente powers--Russia, France and the United Kingdom.

Bulgaria, still resentful after its defeat in July 1913 at the hands of Serbia, Greece, Romania and the Ottoman Empire, was the last nation to enter the war, invading Serbia in conjunction with German and Austro-Hungarian forces in October 1915.

Bulgaria signed an armistice with the Allies on 29 September 1918, following a successful Allied advance in Macedonia. The Ottoman Empire followed suit on 30 October 1918 in the face of British and Arab gains in Palestine and Syria. Austria and Hungary concluded ceasefires separately during the first week of November following the disintegration of the Habsburg Empire, and Germany signed the armistice ending the war on the morning of 11 November 1918 after a succession of advances by Canadian, Belgian, British, French and American forces in north-eastern France and Belgium.