We explain to you what were the central empires that faced the entente in the First World War.
What were the central empires?
The central empires, also called central powers, were a military coalition that faced the entente (or allies) during the World War I (1914-1918). The central empires were formed by the German Empire, the Austro -Hungarian Empire and, since October 1914, the Ottoman Empire. In 1915 he joined the alliance of the Kingdom of Bulgaria.
On the other hand, the entrance was headed by the United Kingdom, France and Russia. In 1915 Italy joined and in 1917 the United States, while Russia left the alliance after the Bolshevik Revolution of November 1917.
The central empires were defeated in the war And they were forced to sign the peace treaties of 1919 and 1920 that formalized their dissolution as empires:
- Germany He lost a large percentage of his territory and underwent the payment of war repairs.
- The Austro -Hungarian Empire It was disintegrated in a series of independent states, such as Austria, Hungary and Czechoslovakia.
- Türkiye and Bulgaria They also lost territories, although the Turkish nationalist government was able to soften these losses with a new treaty in 1923.
Key points
- The central empires were a coalition of countries that faced the entente or allies in World War I (1914-1918).
- The central empires were made up of the German Empire, the Austro -Hungarian Empire and the Ottoman Empire. In 1915 the kingdom of Bulgaria joined.
- The central empires were defeated in 1918, shortly after the entrance of the United States on the side of the entente.
- After the signing of the peace treaties of 1919 and 1920, they lost territories or disintegrated in several independent states, so they ceased to exist as empires.
- See also: Alliances in World War
The formation of central empires
The origin of the alliance known as central empires is found in The triple alliance signed in 1882 between the German Empire, the Austro -Hungarian Empire and the Kingdom of Italy . The triple alliance was the result of the integration of Italy in an anterior coalition formed by Germany and Austria-Hungary. The objective was mutual military aid in case of attack by France or the Russian Empire.
In August 1914, when World War I, the Kingdom of Italy declared neutral and, in May 1915, left the triple alliance and joined the entertain . The Italian government decided this change of side after the signing of the Treaty of London (1915), in which the representatives of the entente promised him a series of territorial annexations in exchange for his entry into the war.
On the other hand, The Ottoman Empire was concerned about Russian expansion and signed a secret military agreement with Germany in August 1914. In October 1914 he joined the conflict as part of the central empires.
Finally, Bulgaria sought to recover the lost territories after their defeat in the Second Balkan War (1913) In front of Serbia, Greece and Romania, so he joined the central empires in October 1915.
- See also: Chronology of World War I
The defeat of the central empires
World War I began with the Austrohungal Empire War Declaration to Serbia on July 28, 1914 following the murder of Archduke Francisco Fernando in Sarajevo. However, the conflict became World Cup in August, when the German empire declared war to Russia and France and invaded Belgium to reach the French territory.
After four years of war, the central empires began to see their position weakened . On September 29, 1918, the kingdom of Bulgaria was forced to sign the armistice. On October 29, the Austrohungal Empire surrendered to the Italian troops and signed the armistice on November 3, while the Ottoman Empire did it on October 30. The last country to sign the armistice was Germany on November 11, 1918, which marked the end of the war.
The peace treaties signed after the war consolidated the dissolution of the central empires:
- The Treaty of Versailles (1919) established the German loss of 13 % of its territory, in addition to all its colonies
- The treaties of Saint Germain (1919) and Trianon (1920) They supposed the disintegration of the Austrohungal Empire and the formation of the independent states of Austria, Hungary and Czechoslovakia, in addition to the transfer of territories to the kingdom of Italy and the new states of Poland and the kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenians (future Yugoslavia)
- The Neuilly Treaty (1919) involved territorial losses for Bulgaria
- The Treaty of Sèvres (1920) He led to the distribution of the territories of the Ottoman Empire in the Middle East between the United Kingdom and France through the Nations Society, and a series of territorial losses in Anatolia and Thrace. The latter were canceled through The Treaty of Lausana (1923) signed after the Turkish victory in the war against Greece (1919-1922).
- World War I peace treaties
- Political leaders of World War I
References
- Britannica, Encyclopaedia (2023). Powers Central. Britannica Encyclopedia. https://www.britannica.com/
- Showalter, from & Royde-Smith, JG (2022). World War I. Britannica Encyclopedia. https://www.britannica.com/
- Stevenson, D. (2013). 1914-1918. History of World War I. Debate.stone, N. (2013). Brief History of World War I. Ariel.
