War and ConflictWorld War I |
What alliances were forged during World War I? |
In its declaration of war against Serbia in late July 1914, Austria-Hungary was joined in early August by its ally Germany, which together formed the Central Powers. In October 1914 Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire joined the Central Powers.
When the fighting began, France, Britain, and Russia threw their support behind Serbia, and together were known as the Allies. The Allies declared war on the Ottoman Empire in November 1914, after Turkish ships bombarded Russian ports on the Black Sea and Turkish troops invaded Russia. Eventually, 20 more nations joined the Allies, but not all of them sent troops to the front. Belgium, Montenegro, and Japan joined the Allies in August 1914, with Japan declaring war on Germany and invading several Pacific islands to drive out the Germans. In 1915 Italy and San Marino joined; as fighting wore on, in 1916, Romania and Portugal became Allied nations; and 1917 saw the entry of eight countries, most notably the United States and China, but also Liberia, Greece, Siam, Panama, Cuba, and Brazil. Before the war ended in 1918, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua all became supporters of the Allies.