Central Powers
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are depicted in red and the Allies of World War I|Entente Powers in green.]]
The '''Central Powers''' (German language|German: ''Mittelmächte'') were the nations of Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria, which fought aganist the Allies of World War I|Allies during World War I. They are called this because they all were located between Russia in the east and France and the United Kingdom in the west.
Germany and Austria-Hungary became allies on 7 October 1879, being joined subsequently (20 May 1882) (see Triple Alliance (1882)|Triple Alliance) by Italy, which however undertook secretly in 1902 not to honour its alliance commitments against Germany's principal adversary France. Italy entered WWI on May 23, 1915 — in alliance with Britain. After the WWI, however, the fascist regime in Italy would go back to the old agreement and instead ally with Nazi Germany.
Following the outbreak of Europe|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 Britain.
Bulgaria, still resentful after its defeat in July 1913 at the hands of Serbia, Greece, Romania and Turkey, was the last nation to enter the war against the Entente, 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 (region)|Macedonia. Turkey followed suit on 30 October in the face of British and Arab gains in Palestine (region)|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 after a succession of advances by Belgium|Belgian, British, French and United States of America|US forces in north-eastern France and Belgium.
See also
Triple Entente
Axis Powers (allies of Germany in WWII)
Allies
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