Entente and Triple Alliance

The Entente and the Triple Alliance - military-political associations, each of which pursued its own interests, they were the opposing forces during the First World War.

Antanta - a political alliance of two friendly states - Russia and France, created in 1895.

Unlike the Triple Alliance, which was a military bloc before the outbreak of World War I, the Entente became a full-fledged military alliance only when gunshots fired over Europe in 1914. It was this year that Britain, France and Russia signed an agreement under which they assumed the obligation not to conclude a separate peace with their opponents.

The tripartite union arose from the unification of Germany and Austria-Hungary in 1879. A little later, namely in 1882, Italy joins them, which completes the formation of this military-political bloc. He played a significant role in creating the situations that led to the outbreak of the First World War. In accordance with the clauses of the treaty signed for a five-year term, the member countries of this agreement pledged not to participate in actions directed against one of them, to provide all support in respect of each other. By their agreement, all three parties were supposed to serve as so-called "insurers". In case of an attack on Italy, Germany and Austria-Hungary became its reliable defense. In the case of Germany, its supporters, Italy and Austria-Hungary, who were trump cards in the event of participation in Russia's military actions.

The Triple Alliance was concluded on a secret basis and with little reservations from Italy. Since she did not want to enter into a conflict with Britain, she warned her allies that they did not expect her support in the event of an attack on either of them by the UK.

The creation of the Triple Alliance was the impetus for the formation of a counterweight in the face of the Entente, which included France, Russia and the United Kingdom. It was this confrontation that led to the outbreak of the First World War.

The Triple Alliance existed until 1915, as Italy in the hostilities already participated on the side of the Entente. This redistribution of forces was preceded by the neutrality of this country in the relations between Germany and France, with which it was not profitable for the "descendant" to spoil relations.

The tripartite union was eventually replaced by a quarter, in which Italy was replaced by the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria.

The Entente and the Triple Alliance were extremely interested in the territory of the Balkan Peninsula, the Near and Middle East. Germany wanted to seize part of France and its colonies; Austria-Hungary needed control over the Balkans; England pursued the goal of weakening the position of Germany, consolidating the world market monopoly, and preserving maritime power; France dreamed of returning the territories of Alsace and Lorraine seized during the Franco-Prussian War; Russia wanted to take root in the Balkans, to seize the western lands of Germany.

The greatest number of contradictions was associated with the Balkan Peninsula. Both the first and the second bloc wanted to consolidate their positions in this region. The struggle began with peaceful diplomatic methods, accompanied by the parallel preparation and strengthening of the military forces of the countries. Germany and Austria-Hungary actively undertook the modernization of troops. The least prepared was Russia.

The event, which served and prompted the outbreak of hostilities, was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Serbia by the student Gavrilo Princip. He shot not only Ferdinand, but his wife, with a shot in the car that was driving. July 15, 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia ...