Alliances
A System of Military Alliances
Alliances were made to give a country more power and to discourage other countries to attack. Because such an agreement would guarantee that other members of the alliance would come to the country’s aid or at least remain neutral. But alliances could force a country to go to war with other countries they had no problems with. When a country thinks it might be involved in a war and is weaker than its enemy or enemies, it looks for friends. One government will then sign a treaty with another to say that they will help each other if a war does break out.
As early as 1879 Germany and Austria-Hungary had become allies. Three years later they were joined by Italy. Then, in 1892, France became an ally with Russia. By 1914, the six most powerful countries in Europe were lined up against each other, three a side.
World War 1 broke out as Francis Ferdinand, the Archduke of Austria-Hungary, was assassinated. Austria-Hungary thought that Serbia was behind the assassination, so they seized the opportunity to declare war on Serbia to settle the feud.
When fighting began, France, Britain, and Russia (the Allies) took Serbia’s side. They fought against the Central Powers, made up of Austria-Hungary and Germany. Other nations later joined the Allies or Central Powers.
Triple Entente
When World War 1 started, the chief powers of Europe formed two opposing groups. Britain, France and Russia formed a group called the Triple Entente. Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy formed the Triple Alliance. The Triple Entente was only an informal grouping when it was first formed. But between 1912 and 1914, it became an effective diplomatic combination. After the war started, the entente powers signed the Declaration of London, where they agreed not to make a separate peace. This act transformed the Triple Entente into a formal union.
Triple Alliance
This was a defence agreement between Austria-Hungary, Germany, and Italy that lasted from 1882 until World War 1. They agreed to help eachother if they were attacked by two or more great powers. The three countries renewed the alliance several times, the last time was in 1912.
The United States were neutral at first. But they later went against the Central Powers. In 1917, the United States joined the Allies. U.S. troops gave the Allies the manpower they needed to win the war.
In the early morning on Nov. 11, 1918, the Germans accepted the armistice terms demanded by the Allies. Germany agreed to evacuate the terrorities it had taken during the war; to surrender large numbers of arms, ships, and other war materials; and to allow the Allied powers to occupy German territory along the Rhine River. Foch ordered the fighting to stop on the Western Front at 11 a.m. World War I was over.
A School Link Article. Courtesy of Jason O’Rourke, LCCHS, March 10, 1999 .
