Entente countries time of entry into the war goals. Triple Alliance

The First World War was a war between two coalitions of powers: Central Powers, or Quadruple Alliance(Germany, Austria-Hungary, Türkiye, Bulgaria) and Entente(Russia, France, Great Britain).

A number of other states supported the Entente in the First World War (that is, they were its allies). This war lasted approximately 4 years (officially from July 28, 1914 to November 11, 1918). This was the first military conflict on a global scale, in which 38 of the 59 independent states that existed at that time were involved.

During the war, the composition of the coalitions changed.

Europe in 1914

Entente

British Empire

France

Russian empire

In addition to these main countries, more than twenty states grouped on the side of the Entente, and the term “Entente” began to be used to refer to the entire anti-German coalition. Thus, the anti-German coalition included the following countries: Andorra, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Italy (from May 23, 1915), Japan, Liberia, Montenegro , Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Siam, USA, Uruguay.

Cavalry of the Russian Imperial Guard

Central Powers

German Empire

Austria-Hungary

Ottoman Empire

Bulgarian kingdom(since 1915)

The predecessor of this block was Triple Alliance, formed in 1879-1882 as a result of agreements concluded between Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy. According to the treaty, these countries were obliged to provide support to each other in the event of war, mainly with France. But Italy began to move closer to France and at the beginning of the First World War declared its neutrality, and in 1915 withdrew from the Triple Alliance and entered the war on the side of the Entente.

Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria joined Germany and Austria-Hungary during the war. The Ottoman Empire entered the war in October 1914, Bulgaria in October 1915.

Some countries participated in the war partially, others entered the war already in its final phase. Let's talk about some of the features of individual countries' participation in the war.

Albania

As soon as the war began, the Albanian prince Wilhelm Wied, a German by origin, fled the country to Germany. Albania assumed neutrality, but was occupied by Entente troops (Italy, Serbia, Montenegro). However, by January 1916, most of it (Northern and Central) was occupied by Austro-Hungarian troops. In the occupied territories, with the support of the occupation authorities, the Albanian Legion was created from Albanian volunteers - a military formation consisting of nine infantry battalions and numbering up to 6,000 fighters in its ranks.

Azerbaijan

On May 28, 1918, the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was proclaimed. Soon she concluded a treaty “On Peace and Friendship” with the Ottoman Empire, according to which the latter obliged “ provide assistance with armed force to the government of the Republic of Azerbaijan, if necessary to ensure order and security in the country" And when the armed formations of the Baku Council of People's Commissars began an attack on Elizavetpol, this became the basis for the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic to turn to the Ottoman Empire for military assistance. As a result, the Bolshevik troops were defeated. On September 15, 1918, the Turkish-Azerbaijani army occupied Baku.

M. Diemer "World War I. Air combat"

Arabia

By the beginning of the First World War, it was the main ally of the Ottoman Empire in the Arabian Peninsula.

Libya

The Muslim Sufi religious and political order Senusiya began to wage military operations against the Italian colonialists in Libya back in 1911. Senusia- a Muslim Sufi religious-political order (brotherhood) in Libya and Sudan, founded in Mecca in 1837 by the Great Senussi, Muhammad ibn Ali al-Senussi, and aimed at overcoming the decline of Islamic thought and spirituality and the weakening of Muslim political unity). By 1914, the Italians controlled only the coast. With the outbreak of the First World War, the Senusites received new allies in the fight against the colonialists - the Ottoman and German empires, with their help, by the end of 1916, Senussia drove the Italians out of most of Libya. In December 1915, Senusite troops invaded British Egypt, where they suffered a crushing defeat.

Poland

With the outbreak of the First World War, Polish nationalist circles in Austria-Hungary put forward the idea of ​​creating a Polish Legion in order to gain the support of the Central Powers and with their help partially resolve the Polish question. As a result, two legions were formed - Eastern (Lviv) and Western (Krakow). The Eastern Legion, after the occupation of Galicia by Russian troops on September 21, 1914, dissolved itself, and the Western Legion was divided into three brigades of legionnaires (each with 5-6 thousand people) and in this form continued to participate in hostilities until 1918.

By August 1915, the Germans and Austro-Hungarians occupied the territory of the entire Kingdom of Poland, and on November 5, 1916, the occupation authorities promulgated the “Act of Two Emperors,” which proclaimed the creation of the Kingdom of Poland - an independent state with a hereditary monarchy and a constitutional system, the boundaries of which were clearly defined were not.

Sudan

By the beginning of the First World War, the Darfur Sultanate was under the protectorate of Great Britain, but the British refused to help Darfur, not wanting to spoil their relations with their Entente ally. As a result, on April 14, 1915, the Sultan officially declared the independence of Darfur. The Darfur Sultan hoped to receive the support of the Ottoman Empire and the Sufi order of Senusiya, with which the Sultanate established a strong alliance. A two-thousand-strong Anglo-Egyptian corps invaded Darfur, the army of the sultanate suffered a number of defeats, and in January 1917 the annexation of the Darfur Sultanate to Sudan was officially announced.

Russian artillery

Neutral countries

The following countries maintained complete or partial neutrality: Albania, Afghanistan, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg (it did not declare war on the Central Powers, although it was occupied by German troops), Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Paraguay, Persia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tibet, Venezuela, Italy (August 3, 1914 - May 23, 1915)

As a result of the war

As a result of the First World War, the Central Powers bloc ceased to exist with defeat in the First World War in the fall of 1918. When signing the truce, they all unconditionally accepted the terms of the victors. Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire disintegrated as a result of the war; states created on the territory of the Russian Empire were forced to seek support from the Entente. Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Finland retained their independence, the rest were again annexed to Russia (directly to the RSFSR or entered the Soviet Union).

World War I- one of the largest-scale armed conflicts in human history. As a result of the war, four empires ceased to exist: Russian, Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman and German. The participating countries lost about 12 million people killed (including civilians), and about 55 million were wounded.

F. Roubaud "The First World War. 1915"

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

The Entente is a political union of three friendly states - Russia, England and France, created in 1895.

Unlike the Triple Alliance, which was a military bloc even before the Entente, it became a full-fledged military association only when gun shots thundered over Europe in 1914. It was in this year that England, France and Russia signed an agreement under which they committed themselves not to enter into agreements with their opponents.

The Triple Alliance emerged from Austria-Hungary in 1879. A little later, namely in 1882, they were joined by Italy, which completed the process of 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 agreement, signed for a five-year period, the countries participating in this agreement pledged not to participate in actions directed against one of them and to provide all possible support for each other. According to their agreement, all three parties were to serve as so-called “backers.” In the event 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 a trump card in the event of Russian participation in military operations.

The Triple Alliance was concluded on a secret basis and with minor reservations on the part of Italy. Since she did not want to enter into conflict relations with Great Britain, she warned her allies not to count on her support if any of them were attacked by Great Britain.

The creation of the Triple Alliance served as an impetus for the formation of a counterweight in the form of the Entente, which included France, Russia and Great Britain. It was this confrontation that led to the outbreak of the First World War.

The Triple Alliance lasted until 1915, since Italy already participated in military operations on the side of the Entente. This redistribution of forces was preceded by the neutrality of this country in relations between Germany and France, with which it was not beneficial for the “native” to spoil relations.

The Triple Alliance was eventually replaced by a Quadruple Alliance, 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 Peninsula and Germany wanted to capture part of France and its colonies; Austria-Hungary needed control of the Balkans; England pursued the goal of weakening Germany's position, securing a global market monopoly, and also maintaining naval power; France dreamed of returning the territories of Alsace and Lorraine taken away during the Franco-Prussian War; Russia wanted to take root in the Balkans and seize the western

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

The event that served and prompted the start of hostilities was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Serbia by a student. A shot at a moving car hit not only Ferdinand, but also his wife. On July 15, 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia...

Everyone is looking and not finding the reason why the war started. Their searches are in vain; they will not find this reason. The war did not start for any one reason, the war started for all reasons at once.

(Thomas Woodrow Wilson)

Since the end of the 19th century, European politicians have been haunted by the feeling of an impending catastrophe. The world was shaken by the Anglo-Boer, Spanish-American, then Russian-Japanese, Italian-Turkish and endless Balkan wars, but they did not develop into a big war. And one could lose count of the political crises that troubled Europe.

In 1905, Germany concluded a treaty of alliance with Russia (Treaty of Bjork), but it never came into force. By 1914, two powerful military-political blocs had already taken shape. The Old World was divided into two warring camps - the Triple Alliance and the Entente. A clash between these groups seemed inevitable, but hardly anyone could then imagine what disastrous consequences it would lead to. Twenty million killed, hundreds of millions maimed, once flourishing cities and villages razed to the ground - this was the result of the First World War...

All major states of the planet have been preparing for a world war since the 1880s. Somewhere at the beginning of the second decade of the 20th century, preparations for the Great War were generally completed, that is, a huge amount of weapons and military equipment was accumulated in European states, and an infrastructure aimed at war was created. All that remains is to find a suitable occasion. And they found him. On June 28, 1914, in Sarajevo, the Serbian patriot Gavrilo Princip killed the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of the Habsburg dynasty, deputy commander-in-chief of the army of the empire. And all the major powers considered it necessary to start a war. And the war began. The terrorist act was just the excuse that everyone was waiting for.

Long before this, a tangle of contradictions had been growing in Europe between the great powers - Germany, Austria-Hungary, France, Great Britain, and Russia. The growing economic power of Germany required a redistribution of world markets, which Great Britain opposed. French and German interests clashed in the disputed border areas that changed hands over the centuries - Alsace and Lorraine. In the Middle East, the interests of almost all powers collided, striving to achieve the division of the collapsing Ottoman Empire.

Entente bloc(formed after the Anglo-Russian Union in 1907):

Russian Empire, Great Britain, France.

Block Triple Alliance:

Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy.

However, during the course of the war, some castlings and replacements took place: Italy entered the war in 1915 on the side of the Entente, and Germany and Austria-Hungary were joined by Turkey and Bulgaria, forming Quadruple Alliance(or the Central Powers bloc).

Central Powers:

Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire (Türkiye), Bulgaria.

Allies of the Entente:

Japan, Italy, Serbia, USA, Romania.

Friends of the Entente(supported the Entente in the war):

Montenegro, Belgium, Greece, Brazil, China, Afghanistan, Cuba, Nicaragua, Siam, Haiti, Liberia, Panama, Honduras, Costa Rica.

A lot of strange things happened in the Entente camp due to the fact that it included Russia and France... France is an ally of Russia; France's ally is Great Britain. The eternal enemy Great Britain becomes an ally of Russia. Great Britain's ally... Japan! As a result, the recent enemy, Japan, becomes an ally of Russia.

On the other hand, the obvious enmity between Turkey and Russia led to the fact that this country, which was under strong British influence, became an ally of Germany. Italy, which was part of the Triple Alliance and for many years considered a natural ally of Germany, eventually found itself in the camp of the Entente countries.

Mishmash. Quiche-mish in Turkish.

As a result, 38 states, in which 70% of the world's population lived, took part in the war. The Entente forces led by France, Russia, Great Britain, from 1915 Italy, and from 1917 the United States defeated the states of the Quadruple Alliance (also known as the Central States) led by Austria-Hungary, Germany, the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria.

In August 1914, the world did not yet know how grandiose and catastrophic the war declared on the first day of the last summer month would become. No one yet knew what innumerable victims, disasters and shocks it would bring to humanity and what indelible mark it would leave on its history. As a result of the war, the armies of the participating countries lost about 10 million soldiers killed and 22 million wounded. And it was precisely those terrible four years of the First World War that, despite the calendars, were destined to become the true beginning of the 20th century.

In September 1914, the first Battle of the Marne took place. The war unfolded in two main theaters of military operations - in Western and Eastern Europe, as well as in the Balkans and Northern Italy, in the colonies - in Africa, China, and Oceania. Very soon after the start of the war, it became clear that the conflict would become protracted. The uncoordinated actions of the Entente countries, which had noticeable superiority, allowed Germany, the main military force of the Triple Alliance, to wage the war on equal terms.

Despite fierce resistance, by 1917 it became clear that victory would go to the Entente. Italy declared war on Austria-Hungary back in 1915. The United States took the side of the Entente (after the famous “Zimmerman Telegram”). In August 1916, Romania, which had been hesitating for a long time, also joined the Entente, but it turned out very unsuccessfully; soon its territory was occupied by the countries of the German bloc (much later, regarding the reliability of Romania as an ally, A. Hitler said: “If Romania ended the war on the same side as it started, it means that it ran over twice!”).

The internal situation led to the February Revolution in Russia, and later to the October Revolution, as a result of which Russia separately withdrew from the war on extremely unfavorable conditions (the capitulatory Peace of Brest-Litovsk was concluded - a “obscene peace”, in the words of V.I. Lenin), so how by 1917 Russia was no longer able to conduct any kind of military operations. This allowed Germany to continue the war for another year.

After the failure of the next offensive on the Western Front in November 1918, a revolution also began in Germany (ending on November 9 with the overthrow of Kaiser Wilhelm and the establishment of the Weimar Republic).

On November 11, 1918, the German and Allied commands concluded a truce in Compiegne, ending the First World War. In the same month, Austria-Hungary ceased to exist, breaking up into several states; its monarchy was overthrown.

The result of the First World War was the disintegration and liquidation of four empires: German, Russian, Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman (Ottoman), the last two were divided, and Germany and Russia, having ceased to be monarchies, were reduced territorially and weakened economically. Germany lost its colonial territories. Czechoslovakia, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Yugoslavia gained independence. The war set the stage for the eventual collapse of the British Empire.

The First World War marked the end of the old world order that emerged after the Napoleonic Wars. The outcome of the conflict proved to be an important factor in the outbreak of World War II. It was revanchist sentiments in Germany that actually led to World War II.

In addition, the world war became one of the main reasons that turned the life of Russia upside down - the February and October revolutions. Old Europe, which for centuries had maintained a leading position in political, economic and cultural life, began to lose its leading position, losing it to the emerging new leader - the United States of America (or USA - the United States of North America, as this country was called at that time).

This war raised the question of the further coexistence of different peoples and states in a new way. And in human terms, its price turned out to be unprecedentedly high - the great powers that were part of the opposing blocs and bore the brunt of the hostilities lost a significant part of their gene pool. The historical consciousness of peoples turned out to be so poisoned that for a long time it cut off the path to reconciliation for those of them who acted as opponents on the battlefields. The world war “rewarded” those who went through its crucible and survived with a constant reminder of its bitterness. People's faith in the reliability and rationality of the existing world order was seriously undermined.

At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the balance of power in the international arena changed dramatically. The geopolitical aspirations of the great powers: Great Britain, France and Russia, on the one hand, Germany and Austria-Hungary, on the other, led to unusually intense rivalry.

In the last third of the 19th century, the geopolitical picture of the world looked like this: the USA and Germany began to outpace and displace the “old” great powers - Great Britain and France - in the world market in terms of economic growth rates, while simultaneously laying claim to their colonial possessions. In this regard, relations between Germany and Great Britain became extremely strained in the struggle both for colonies and for dominance in the oceans. During the same period, two unfriendly blocs of countries formed, which finally demarcated relations between them. It all started with the Austro-German alliance, formed in 1879 on the initiative of Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. Subsequently, Bulgaria and Türkiye joined this alliance. Somewhat later, the so-called Quadruple Alliance, or Central Bloc, emerged, which marked the beginning of a series of international treaties that led to the creation of an opposing Russian-French bloc in 1891–1893.

Shooting chain. Before the dash

In 1904, Great Britain signed three conventions with France, which meant the establishment of the Anglo-French “Concord of the Heart” - “Entente cordiale” (this bloc began to be called the Entente later, when there was a brief rapprochement in the contradictory relations of these two countries). In 1907, in order to resolve colonial issues regarding Tibet, Afghanistan and Iran, a Russian-English treaty was concluded, which actually meant the inclusion of Russia in the Entente, or the “Triple Agreement”. In the growing rivalry, each of the great powers pursued its own interests.

The Russian Empire, realizing the need to contain the expansion of Germany and Austria-Hungary in the Balkans and strengthen its own positions there, counted on recapturing Galicia from Austria-Hungary, without excluding the establishment of control over the Black Sea straits of the Bosporus and Dardanelles, which were in Turkish possession.

The British Empire aimed to eliminate its main competitor, Germany, and strengthen its own position as a leading power, maintaining dominance at sea. At the same time, Britain planned to weaken and subordinate its allies - Russia and France - to its foreign policy. The latter thirsted for revenge for the defeat suffered during the Franco-Prussian War, and most importantly, wanted to return the provinces of Alsace and Lorraine lost in 1871.

Germany intended to defeat Great Britain in order to seize its colonies rich in raw materials, defeat France and secure the border provinces of Alsace and Lorraine. In addition, Germany sought to take possession of the vast colonies that belonged to Belgium and Holland, in the east its geopolitical interests extended to the possessions of Russia - Poland, Ukraine and the Baltic states, and it also hoped to subordinate the Ottoman Empire (now Turkey) and Bulgaria to its influence, after which, together with Austria-Hungary to establish control in the Balkans. Aiming at the speedy achievement of their goals, the German leadership was in every possible way looking for a reason to unleash military action, and it was ultimately found in Sarajevo...

The military euphoria that gripped European countries gradually turned into military psychosis. On the day the hostilities began, Emperor Franz Joseph published a manifesto, which, among other things, contained the famous phrase: “I have weighed everything, I have thought through everything”... On the same day, a meeting of the Russian Council of Ministers took place. The country's military leadership considered it necessary to carry out general mobilization, conscripting 5.5 million people into the army. Minister of War V.A. Sukhomlinov and Chief of the General Staff N.N. Yanushkevich insisted on this in the hope of a short-lived war (lasting 4–6 months). Germany presented an ultimatum to Russia demanding an end to general mobilization within 12 hours - until 12.00 on August 1, 1914. The ultimatum expired, and Russia found itself in a state of war with Germany.

Further events developed rapidly and inevitably. On August 2, Germany entered the war with Belgium, on August 3 - with France, and on August 4, official notification of the start of military action against it by Great Britain was received in Berlin. Thus, diplomatic battles in Europe gave way to bloody battles on the battlefield.

Russian three-inch guns at a military review

Probably, the top leadership of Germany and Austria-Hungary did not imagine what catastrophic consequences their actions would lead to, but it was the political shortsightedness of Berlin and Vienna that made such a fatal development of events possible. In conditions when there was still a possibility of resolving the crisis peacefully, neither in Germany nor in Austria-Hungary there was a single politician who would take such an initiative.

It is interesting that by the beginning of the 20th century there were no such insurmountable contradictions between Germany and Russia that would inevitably develop into such a large-scale military confrontation. However, the German Empire's desire for European and world domination was obvious. The Habsburg Empire was guided by similar ambitions. In the context of the strengthening of their military-political power, neither Russia, nor France, nor especially Great Britain could afford to find themselves in a secondary role. As Russian Foreign Minister S.D. Sazonov noted on this occasion, in the event of inaction, one would have to “not only abandon Russia’s age-old role as the defender of the Balkan peoples, but also recognize that the will of Austria and Germany standing behind it is the law for Europe "

By the beginning of August 1914, the prospect of a “great European war” was obvious. The main powers of the opposing alliances - the Entente and the Central Bloc - began to bring their armed forces to combat readiness. Armies of millions were moving to their original combat positions, and their military command was already anticipating an imminent victory. Back then, few could have imagined how unattainable it was...

At first glance, there was no logic in the fact that the subsequent events of August 1914 unfolded according to a scenario that no one could have predicted. In reality, such a turn was predetermined by a number of circumstances, factors and trends.

On August 8, representatives of most political parties and associations expressed at a meeting of the Russian State Duma their loyal feelings to the emperor, as well as faith in the correctness of his actions and their readiness, putting aside internal disagreements, to support the soldiers and officers who found themselves at the fronts. The national slogan “War to a victorious end!” was taken up even by liberal-minded oppositionists, who quite recently advocated for Russia’s restraint and caution in foreign policy decisions.

After the announcement of the Highest Manifesto on the war, assurances of loyal feelings poured into St. Petersburg from all corners of the country, from all provinces. A week later, response telegrams arrived: “I thank the population of the province for their devotion and willingness to serve Me and the Motherland. Nikolai."

Great Britain's choice was the German naval program and Germany's colonial claims. In Germany, in turn, this turn of events was declared an “encirclement” and served as a reason for new military preparations, positioned as purely defensive.

The confrontation between the Entente and the Triple Alliance led to the First World War, where the enemy of the Entente and its allies was the Central Powers bloc, in which Germany played a leading role.

Key dates

The full composition of the anti-German coalition

Some states did not declare war on the Central Powers, limiting themselves to breaking diplomatic relations.

After the victory over Germany in 1919, the Supreme Council of the Entente practically performed the functions of a “world government”, organizing the post-war order, but the failure of the Entente’s policy towards Russia and Turkey revealed the limit to its power, undermined by internal contradictions between the victorious powers. In this political capacity of a “world government,” the Entente ceased to exist after the formation of Ukraine on March 3, 1918. The Entente declared non-recognition of this agreement, but never began military action against the Soviet government, trying to negotiate with it. On March 6, a small English landing party, two companies of marines, landed in Murmansk to prevent the Germans from seizing a huge amount of military cargo delivered by the Allies to Russia, but did not take any hostile actions against the Soviet government (until June 30). In response to the killing of two Japanese citizens, two companies of Japanese and half a company of British landed in Vladivostok on April 5, but they were returned to their ships two weeks later.

The aggravation of relations between the Entente countries and the Bolsheviks began in May 1918. Then Germany demanded that Soviet Russia strictly comply with the conditions of the Brest-Litovsk Peace Treaty - in particular, to intern, that is, completely disarm and imprison in concentration camps, all military personnel of the Entente countries and its allies located on Soviet territory. This led to the uprising of the Czechoslovak corps, the landing of 2,000 British troops in Arkhangelsk in August 1918, and the advance of the Japanese in Primorye and Transbaikalia.

Japan continued until the Treaty of Versailles, which formalized Germany's defeat in the war. After which, the assistance of the Western allies to the White movement gradually ceases. Emperor Wilhelm II in his memoirs states that in fact the Entente bloc took shape back in 1897, after the signing of a tripartite agreement between England, America and France, known as the “Gentleman’s Agreement”.

In the book "The problem of Japan" anonymous author, published in 1918 in The Hague, allegedly written by an ex-diplomat from the Far East, contains excerpts from the book of Roland Asher, a history professor at the University of Washington in St. Louis. Usher, just like his former colleague, John Bassett Moore, a professor at Columbia University in New York, was often engaged by the State Department in Washington as an adviser on foreign policy, for he was a great expert in international issues relating to the United States, which not much in America. Thanks to a book published in 1913 by Roland Usher, a professor of history at the University of Washington, the contents of a prisoner became known for the first time in the spring of 1897. "Agreement" or "Treat"(agreement or treaty) of a secret nature between England, America and France. This agreement established that if Germany, or Austria, or both together started a war in the interests of “pan-Germanism,” the United States would immediately side with England and France and provide all its funds to assist these powers. Professor Asher further cites all the reasons, including those of a colonial nature, that forced the United States to take part in the war against Germany, the imminence of which he predicted back in 1913. - Anonymous author "The problem of Japan" compiled a special table of points of the agreement concluded in 1897 between England, France and America, dividing them into separate headings, and thus depicting in a visual form the extent of mutual obligations. This chapter of his book is read with extreme interest and gives a good idea of ​​the events that preceded the world war, and of the preparations for it of the Entente countries, which, not yet acting under the name "Entente cordiale", already then united against Germany. The ex-diplomat notes: here we have an agreement concluded, according to Professor Usher, back in 1897 - an agreement that provides for all stages of the participation of England, France and America in future events, including the conquest of the Spanish colonies and control over Mexico and Central America, and the use of China, and the annexation of coal plants. However, Professor Usher wants to convince us that these events were only necessary to save the world from “Pan-Germanism.” It is unnecessary to remind Professor Asher, the ex-diplomat continues, that even if we were to admit the existence of the specter of “pan-Germanism,” then in 1897, of course, no one had heard of it, because by that time Germany had not yet put forward its large naval program, which was made public only in 1898 Thus, if England, France, and the United States really cherished those general plans which Professor Usher ascribes to them, and if they entered into an alliance for the implementation of these plans, it will hardly be possible to explain both the origin of these plans and their execution on such a weak pretext like, like the successes of “pan-Germanism”. So says the ex-diplomat. This is truly amazing. The Gauls and Anglo-Saxons, with the goal of destroying Germany and Austria, and eliminating their competition in the world market in an atmosphere of complete peace, without the slightest remorse, conclude a real division agreement directed against Spain, Germany, etc., developed to the smallest detail. This treaty was concluded by the united Gallo-Anglo-Saxons 17 years before the outbreak of the World War, and its objectives were systematically developed during this period. Now we can understand the ease with which King Edward VII could carry out his policy of encirclement; The main actors had already sung and were ready for a long time. When he christened this union "Entente cordiale"

Entente countries

Entente

Entente (fr. "Entente cordiale" - "Hearty consent") - a military bloc that included Great Britain, France and Russia. The West has long been negotiating with Russia on this matter. More 24 DK 1893 a Franco-Russian military alliance was concluded. 20 MAY 1902 the visit began president France's Emile Loubet Petersburg. England and France 8 AP 1904 concluded a military treaty, which received the unofficial name "Ccordial Consent" (Entente), and in 1907 - England signed a similar agreement with Russia. 31 AB 1907 the new Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia A.P. Izvolsky, a strong supporter of orientation towards France and rapprochement with England, achieved the signing of an Anglo-Russian agreement on delimitation spheres influence in Iran, Afghanistan and other areas of Asia.

Russia's sphere of influence remained Northern Iran, England's - South-East. The exclusive sphere of the English interests Afghanistan was recognized. The agreement paved the way for the final formation of the Entente consisting of England, France and Russia. This step of Russian diplomacy meant that Russia considers the European, in particular the Balkan, direction of foreign policy to be the main one, agreeing to maintain the status quo in Central Asia and the Far East. Russia tried to maintain good economic relations with the states of the Triple Alliance. 15 IL 1904 The Russian-German trade agreement was renewed. Blok performed in First world war against the Triple Alliance led by Germany. During wars 23 joined the Entente states. Already 12 DK 1916 followed by a note from Germany to the Entente countries about the readiness of the Central European states for negotiations. Russia 26 OK 1917 with the adoption of the Decree and the world actually left coalition.

The leading role in the Entente by 1917 belonged to Great Britain, France and the USA; Japan had significant armed forces in the Far East. The main coordinating centers of the Entente are political and military conferences, as well as the Supreme Council, which consisted of the Prime Minister ministers Western European powers, representatives of the French, English, American and Italian General Staffs. After the First World War, the bloc of victorious states in the First World War, which in 1918-1920 acted as the main organizer of the armed interventions against Soviet Russia. Political leaders Entente in 1918-1920 - Lloyd George, Clemenceau J., Wilson T.V. Commander-in-Chief with AP 1918 Allied forces in Europe were Marshal Foch F. 23 NY 1918 Entente troops landed in Novorossiysk, Sevastopol and Odessa ( 23 AB 1919).

Soviet poster calling for armed vigilance

Only 16 JAN 1920 this blockade was lifted and a decree followed ( 16 JAN 1920) Supreme Union Council of the Entente countries on the resumption of trade relations with Soviet Russia. 14 IN 1919 Entente recognized Kolchak A.V.. as supreme ruler. A resolution was adopted by the Supreme Union Council Entente countries on the resumption of trade relations from the Soviet Russia. Exacerbation of contradictions m. participants The Entente led it to collapse.