User:Maxpando/sandbox5
The Great War was a conflict that occurred in the early 20th century. The war began on a relatively small scale when Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia on 28 July 1914 for rejecting its ultimatum demanding the authority to investigate the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, by an ethnic Serb. From there, the two countries' principal allies joined the war, Russia and its ally France on the side of Serbia, forming the Entente Powers, and Germany on the side of Austria-Hungary, forming the Central Powers.
As the war continued, more countries gradually joined each side. Notably, Japan joined relatively early on on the side of the Entente Powers, but signed a quick peace with the Central Powers the following year in exchange for Germany's colonial possessions in Asia and the Pacific and quickly became a co-belligerent on the side of the Central Powers after invading China, as Russia came to its aid. More importantly, in 1916, the United Kingdom, the largest empire in the world at the time, declared war on Japan, and a year later on Germany, officially bringing it into the war.
Participant Notes
[edit]- ^ The United Kingdom entered the war as an indirect co-belligerent of the Entente Powers on 8 March 1916 by declaring war on Japan while Japan was already at war with China, a member of the Entente Powers, based on Japanese troops invading China's Shandong Province allegedly crossing into the British sphere of influence around its Weihaiwei Leased Territory. The British had already demonstrated a preference for the Entente, sending military aid to France and Russia, encouraging volunteers to fight alongside the French, and allowing its Australian dominion to invade German New Guinea, and had also imposed a trade blockade at the beginning of Japan's invasion of China in protest of the violation of Chinese sovereignty. The United Kingdom finally formally joined the Entente Powers on 4 January 1917 by declaring war on the Central Powers to attempt to alleviate German pressure on France amidst growing mutinies by French troops after almost a year of deadly yet stagnant trench warfare, using as pretext a German attack on a British ship sending supplies to France, though many such violations had occurred between the two countries already
- ^ Russia entered the war on the side that would become the Entente Powers on 1 August 1914 by declaring war on the Central Powers to defend the independence of Serbia, seeing Serbia as key to preserving Russian influence in the Balkans
- ^ France entered the war on the side of Russia and Serbia on 3 August 1914 by declaring war on the Central Powers in support of its ally Russia, leading their side in the war to gain the name the "Entente Powers" since the Franco-Russian alliance was also known as the Dual Entente
- ^ Italy entered the war on the side of the Entente Powers on 29 December 1915 by declaring war on the Central Powers based on Austro-Hungarian refusals to cede territories inhabited mainly by ethnic Italians, as well as Entente promises of territorial concessions in South Tyrol, Dalmatia, German colonies in Africa, and Ethiopia in the future during negotiations with France
- ^ China re-entered the war as an indirect co-belligerent of the Entente Powers on 8 June 1915 after Russia declared war on Japan to attempt to regain influence in East Asia following its loss in the Russo-Japanese War a decade prior by supporting China while still at war against the Central Powers. China then formally joined the Entente Powers on 4 February 1916 by declaring war on the Central Powers in exchange for Russian and French supplies to fight the Japanese
- ^ Belgium entered the war on the side of the Entente Powers on 4 August 1917 after Germany invaded the country to attempt to improve its position in France, having only not done so previously to avoid bringing the United Kingdom into the war, which still occurred several months earlier. Declarations of war quickly followed from the other Central Powers
- ^ Greece entered the war on the side of the Entente Powers on 30 June 1917 by declaring war on the Central Powers based on alleged Bulgarian violations of Greek neutrality, though in reality primarily looking to exploit potential Bulgarian vulnerability after its entrance into the war several months earlier
- ^ Romania entered the war on the side of the Entente Powers on 27 August 1916 by declaring war on the Central Powers based on Austro-Hungarian refusals to cede territories inhabited mainly by ethnic Romanians, as well as Entente promises of territorial concessions from Austria-Hungary after the war
- ^ Serbia entered the war on 28 July 1914 after Austria-Hungary declared war on it for declining the terms of its ultimatum to investigate the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, by an ethnic Serb, becoming the first member of what would become the Entente Powers to enter the war
- ^ Montenegro entered the war on the side of the Entente Powers on 5 August 1914 by declaring war on the Central Powers in support of its informal ally Serbia. On 17 May 1915, the country was fully occupied by Austro-Hungarian forces, though the government refused to surrender, so a military administration was established
- ^ Japan entered the war on the side of the Entente Powers on 23 August 1914 by declaring war on the Central Powers using as pretext Franco-German naval clashes near its territory, seeing joining the war as an opportunity to expand its influence in East Asia at the expense of Germany. Japan left the war on 25 May 1915 after signing the Treaty of Tokyo, which ended its state of war with the Central Powers in exchange for receiving Germany's Pacific islands from its colony of New Guinea, as well as Germany giving up its rights to the Kiautschou Bay Leased Territory. However, misinterpretations of whether the islands in the treaty included Germany's portion of the island of New Guinea itself led fighting between German and Japanese forces to continue unofficially for almost two more years until Germany finally agreed to recognize Japan's interpretation of the treaty as ceding the whole territory to Japan, effectively abandoning their remaining troops given the lack of means to transport them safely amidst the British blockade
- ^ Luxembourg entered the war as a co-belligerent of the Entente Powers on 1 March 1915 after Germany invaded it in order to continue its war with France through its territory. On 2 March 1915, just one day later, the country surrendered to German occupation, rather than attempting to join the Entente Powers to attempt to resist
- ^ Germany entered the war on the side of Austria-Hungary on 1 August 1914 by declaring war on Serbia in support of its ally, leading their side in the war to gain the name the "Central Powers" due to the two empires' location in Central Europe
- ^ Austria-Hungary entered the war on 28 July 1914 by declaring war on Serbia when it declined to accept the terms of its ultimatum to investigate the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, by an ethnic Serb, becoming the first member of what would become the Central Powers to enter the war
- ^ Sweden entered the war as a co-belligerent of the Central Powers by declaring war on Russia on 3 June 1915 after failures to diplomatically resolve tensions with Russia during the Crisis of May after the 23 April bombardment of Stockholm, when Russian vessels attacked Swedish ships due to the Swedish refusal to stop trading iron and weapons to Germany during the war or prove peaceful intentions by granting Russia naval bases on Gotland or reducing the size of the Swedish navy. Though Sweden did not formally join the Central Powers, the other members of the Entente Powers each declared war on Sweden in support of Russia, as did most countries that joined the alliance in the following years. Sweden only formally joined the Central Powers two years later on 19 October 1917 by declaring war on the remaining Entente Powers it was not yet at war with, Italy and Belgium, following the British invasion of Norway several months earlier targeted at Sweden, making a separate peace without committing to the broader war seem impossible.
- ^ Bulgaria entered the war on the side of the Central Powers by declaring war on the Entente Powers on 1 September 1916 shortly after Romania joined the Entente Powers using as pretext danger caused by Romania's unprovoked declarations of war, in reality hoping to take advantage of Romania's precarious position to make territorial gains, despite having previously hesitated in joining the war based on Serbia's resilience against Austria-Hungary
- ^ Norway entered the war as a co-belligerent of the Central Powers after the United Kingdom declared war on it on 5 May 1917 based on its rejection of a British ultimatum to allow British troops to invade Sweden, which the United Kingdom had recently declared war against to support its ally Russia, through Norway while the United Kingdom was already at war with the Central Powers. Most of the other members of the Entente Powers declared war on Norway in quick succession soon afterwards, the only exceptions being Italy and Belgium. Norway formally joined the Central Powers just a few months later by declaring war on these last remaining members of the Entente Powers on 19 October 1917 in a joint decision with Sweden, both agreeing that the hopes Sweden had held out with for two years of a separate peace without committing the broader war as no longer feasible.
- ^ Ethiopia entered the war on the side of the Central Powers by declaring war on the Entente Powers on 3 April 1917, citing continual threats by Italy to invade the country again as it had done twenty years earlier, and viewing this as its best opportunity given Italy's preoccupation with fighting Austria-Hungary in Europe and with promises of German support from the German Bureau for African and Middle Eastern Affairs since early in the war
- ^ Finland entered the war as a co-belligerent of the Central Powers immediately upon its unilateral declaration of independence on 6 April 1917, as the country was still internationally recognized as part of Russia, and thus in an automatic state of war with it. Due to Finland's close relations with Sweden, with the Finnish declaration of independence being issued by Finnish leaders within Sweden, the Finnish king being selected from the Swedish royal family, and Finnish separatists receiving military advice and weapons from Sweden even before independence, Finland quickly declared war on all countries at war with Sweden, coinciding with the Entente Powers apart from Italy and Belgium. Finland formally joined the Central Powers a few months later on 19 October 1917 alongside its patron Sweden by declaring war on these last two members of the Entente Powers after Sweden determined a separate peace without joining the broader war was no longer feasible after the British invaded Norway that May. This also earned Finland diplomatic recognition from Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and Poland, a similarly largely-unrecognized breakaway state from Russia. Following the Swedish capture of Helsinki, the Finnish government was able to take up residence in its claimed capital and begin exerting real authority over the country on 6 November 1918.
- ^ Poland entered the war as a co-belligerent of the Central Powers immediately upon its unilateral declaration of independence on 5 November 1916, as the country was still internationally recognized as part of Russia, and thus in an automatic state of war with it. It formally joined the Central Powers later that same day, however, issuing declarations of war against the Entente Powers as one of the new government's first actions. This was done to maintain positive relations with Germany and Austria-Hungary, based on both practical reasons, as they still occupied the country at the time, and genuine support, as Polish nationalists credited them for enabling and supporting the reestablishment of a Polish state, though this was mostly at the initiative of Germany as Austria-Hungary privately wanted to reach a deal with Germany to annex its occupied Polish territory for itself.
- ^ Albania entered the war as a co-belligerent of the Central Powers after it was invaded by Greece on 27 October 1917 based on alleged Albanian violations of its neutrality in favor of the Central Powers, though in reality simply to use its territory to relieve the Serbs. Albania formally joined the Central Powers a few days later on 31 October 1917 by declaring war on those members of the Entente Powers not yet at war with it based on Austro-Hungarian pressure after its troops were permitted to enter the country to defend it from the Greek invasion.
- ^ Japan re-entered the war as a co-belligerent of the Central Powers on 8 June 1915 after Russia declared war on it in protest of Japan's own declaration of war against China, as well as a desire to regain influence in East Asia Japan had taken from it during the Russo-Japanese War a decade prior, while still at war with the Central Powers. Though Japan did not formally join the Central Powers, remaining notably at peace with France and Italy, it did receive military aid from Germany and experience a trade blockade from France
- ^ The Dervish movement entered the war as an indirect co-belligerent of the Central Powers on 8 March 1916 after the United Kingdom declared war on Japan to protect its sphere of influence around its Weihaiwei Leased Territory in China while Japan was already at war with China, a member of the Entente Powers, and while the Dervish were already in a low-intensity conflict with the British. At the time, the Dervish state was not formally recognized as independent, but had been contacted by the new German Bureau for African and Middle Eastern Affairs close to the beginning of the war to prepare for coordination of resistance should the British join the war. The Dervish state then became a direct co-belligerent of the Central Powers on 4 January 1917 after the United Kingdom formally declared war on the Central Powers
- ^ The Russian Soviet Republic entered the war as a co-belligerent of the Central Powers immediately upon its unilateral formation on 7 November 1918 by the "majority" faction of the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party based on a desire to withdraw Russia from the war, as its formation constituted a direct act of rebellion against the internationally-recognized Russian imperial government.
- ^ Australia entered the war as a co-belligerent of the Central Powers on 9 October 1918 immediately after its unilateral declaration of independence from the United Kingdom based on British demands that Australia declare the Simpson Agreement signed by Australia the year before with Japan without British permission illegal, arrest the Australian officials responsible for the agreement, and invade Japanese New Guinea, all of which were seen as unacceptable by the Australian government amidst anger at the British for not sufficiently supporting Australia's campaign against German New Guinea and a desire to not return to war after three years of fighting the Germans. After independence, Australia soon after nominally declared war on China, a member of the Entente Powers, as well, seeing it as a means of maintaining peace with Japan, though it did not engage in any fighting. Australia's independence was not formally recognized by any country, however
- ^ The Constitutional Protection Army entered the war as a co-belligerent of the Central Powers immediately after beginning its rebellion against the central Chinese government on 1 September 1918 over disagreements with the government over the conduct of the war and its internal governance in China. However, though both were fighting the central Chinese government, the Constitutional Protection Army did not align itself with Japan and did fight Japanese troops in small skirmishes when their forces interacted.
- ^ China entered the war as a co-belligerent of the Central Powers on 9 May 1915 after Japan declared war on it for refusing to accept all of its Twenty-One Demands, requested by Japan nominally to resolve the status of the seized German Kiautschou Bay Leased Territory but in reality to take advantage of China while the other global powers were focused on Europe, while Japan was still at war with Germany, a member of the Central Powers. China ceased to be a co-belligerent of the Central Powers less than a month later on 25 May 1915 following the signing of the Treaty of Tokyo, however, which established peace between the Central Powers and Japan. Japan's impending peace with Germany and increasingly tense relations with the Entente Powers were evident by the time the war broke out, so China took no action to actually join the Central Powers; tensions were also high between China and Germany as it took advantage of the war to restrict Germany's control of its sphere of influence around the leased territory
- ^ At the time, Finnish independence from Russia was not recognized by any other state, with this treaty serving as the establishment of Swedish recognition for it, nor did the Finnish government signing the treaty possess meaningful control of any portion of the country
- ^ The status of this agreement as a legal treaty is disputed, and ultimately served as the catalyst for Australia's unilateral declaration of independence from the United Kingdom a year later. From the British perspective, Australia, as a dominion of the United Kingdom, had no right to conduct independent foreign affairs, which this agreement constituted as it redrew the borders between Australian, and thus British, territory, and was especially egregious because the United Kingdom, and thus Australia, was formally at war with Japan, albeit without significant combat due to the the United Kingdom's focus on the war in Europe and Japan's focus on the war in China, thus maintaining no formal diplomatic relations with the country through which such a treaty could be negotiated and signed. From the Australian perspective, the conflict over New Guinea had begun informally and without the participation of the British government albeit with British encouragement, and thus fell under the purview of the Australian government including the ability to negotiate an end to it and a new border, and that the British declaration of war on Japan only applied to China, not New Guinea, enabling peace to remain between Japan and Australia there. Regardless, both the Japanese and Australian governments respected the agreement, enabling the new border to remain and fighting between Australian and Japanese forces in New Guinea to be avoided.
- ^ Killed instantly by stray bullet on 4 April 1917 in Kaunas while monitoring frontlines soon after taking personal command of the army due to increasing paranoia about his subordinates based on their assassination attempts against his aide Grigori Rasputin
- ^ Forced to abdicate by relatives and military generals after automatically inheriting throne on the death of his father
Other Notes
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