Central Powers - wikipedia Central Powers Not to be confused with Axis powers. Central Powers Mittelmächte ( German ) Központi hatalmak ( Hungarian ) İttifak Devletleri ( Turkish ) Централни сили ( Bulgarian ) Military alliance 1914 -- 1918 Allied Powers ( and their colonies ) Central Powers ( and their colonies ) Neutral Powers Quadruple Alliance : Germany Austria - Hungary Ottoman Empire Bulgaria Co-belligerent states : Dervish State South Africa Sultanate of Darfur Client states : Azerbaijan Belarus Courland and Semigallia Crim Don Finland Jabal Shammar Kuban Lithuania Northern Caucasus Poland Ukraine Georgia United Baltic Duchy Capital none ( de jure ) Berlin ( de facto ) Political structure Military alliance Historical era World War I Dual Alliance ( Germany / Austria - Hungary ) 7 October 1879 Established 28 June 1914 Ottoman -- German Alliance 2 August 1914 Bulgaria -- Germany treaty 6 September 1915 ( secret ) 14 October 1915 ( public ) Dissolved 11 November 1918 Leaders of the Central Powers ( left to right ) : Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany ; Kaiser and King Franz Joseph of Austria - Hungary ; Sultan Mehmed V of the Ottoman Empire ; Tsar Ferdinand I of Bulgaria. The Central Powers ( German : Mittelmächte ; Hungarian : Központi hatalmak ; Turkish : İttifak Devletleri / Bağlaşma Devletleri ; Bulgarian : Централни сили, translit. Tsentralni sili ), consisting of Germany, Austria - Hungary, the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria -- hence also known as the Quadruple Alliance ( German : Vierbund ) -- was one of the two main factions during World War I ( 1914 -- 18 ). It faced and was defeated by the Allied Powers that had formed around the Triple Entente. The Powers ' origin was the alliance of Germany and Austria - Hungary in 1879. The Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria did not join until after World War I had begun, although the Ottoman Empire retained close relations with both Germany and Austria - Hungary since the beginning of the 20th century. Contents 1 Member states 2 Combatants 2.1 Germany 2.1. 1 War justifications 2.1. 2 Colonies and dependencies 2.2 Austria - Hungary 2.2. 1 War justifications 2.3 Ottoman Empire 2.3. 1 War justifications 2.4 Bulgaria 2.4. 1 War justifications 2.4. 2 Declarations of war 3 Co-belligerents 3.1 Dervish State 3.2 South African Republic 3.3 Sultanate of Darfur 4 Client states 4.1 German client states 4.2 Ottoman client states 5 Controversial cases 5.1 Ethiopia 6 Non-state combatants 7 Armistice and treaties 8 Leaders 9 See also 10 Footnotes 11 References Member states The Central Powers consisted of the German Empire and the Austro - Hungarian Empire at the beginning of the war. The Ottoman Empire joined the Central Powers later in 1914. In 1915, the Kingdom of Bulgaria joined the alliance. The name `` Central Powers '' is derived from the location of these countries ; all four ( including the other groups that supported them except for Finland and Lithuania ) were located between the Russian Empire in the east and France and the United Kingdom in the west. Finland, Azerbaijan, and Lithuania joined them in 1918 before the war ended and after the Russian Empire collapsed. Allied and Central Powers during World War I Allied Powers Allied colonies, dominions, territories or occupations Central Powers Central Powers ' colonies or occupations Neutral countries Europe in 1914. The Central Powers were composed of the following nations : Nation Entered WWI Austria - Hungary 28 July 1914 German Empire 1 August 1914 Ottoman Empire 2 August 1914 ( secret ) 29 October 1914 ( public ) Kingdom of Bulgaria 14 October 1915 Deaths of the Central powers Economic statistics of the Central Powers Population ( millions ) Land ( million km ) GDP ( $ billion ) GDP per capita ( $ ) German Empire ( 1914 ) Mainland 67.0 0.5 244.3 3,648 Colonies 10.7 3.0 6.4 601 Total 77.7 3.5 250.7 Austria -- Hungary ( 1914 ) 50.6 0.6 100.5 1,986 Ottoman Empire ( 1914 ) 23.0 1.8 25.3 1,100 Kingdom of Bulgaria ( 1915 ) 4.8 0.1 7.4 1,527 Total 156.1 6.0 383.9 2,459 Military statistics of the Central Powers Mobilized Killed in action Wounded Missing in action Total casualties Percentage casualties of total force mobilized German Empire 13,250,000 1,808,546 ( 13.65 % ) 4,247,143 1,152,800 7,208,489 66 % Austria -- Hungary 7,800,000 922,500 ( 11.82 % ) 3,620,000 2,200,000 6,742,500 86 % Ottoman Empire 2,998,321 325,000 ( 10.84 % ) 400,000 250,000 975,000 34 % Kingdom of Bulgaria 1,200,000 75,844 ( 6.32 % ) 153,390 27,029 255,263 21 % Total 25,257,321 3,131,890 8,419,533 3,629,829 15,181,252 66 % Combatants Germany Main article : German Empire War justifications German soldiers in the battlefield in August 1914 on the Western Front shortly after the outbreak of war. German cavalry entering Warsaw in 1915. German battlecruiser SMS Seydlitz heavily damaged after the Battle of Jutland. German Fokker Dr. I fighter aircraft of Jasta 26 at Erchin in German - occupied territory of France. In early July 1914, in the aftermath of the assassination of Austro - Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and the immediate likelihood of war between Austria - Hungary and Serbia, Kaiser Wilhelm II and the German government informed the Austro - Hungarian government that Germany would uphold its alliance with Austria - Hungary and defend it from possible Russian intervention if a war between Austria - Hungary and Serbia took place. When Russia enacted a general mobilization, Germany viewed the act as provocative. The Russian government promised Germany that its general mobilization did not mean preparation for war with Germany but was a reaction to the events between Austria - Hungary and Serbia. The German government regarded the Russian promise of no war with Germany to be nonsense in light of its general mobilization, and Germany, in turn, mobilized for war. On August 1, Germany sent an ultimatum to Russia stating that since both Germany and Russia were in a state of military mobilization, an effective state of war existed between the two countries. Later that day, France, an ally of Russia, declared a state of general mobilization. In August 1914, Germany waged war on Russia, the German government justified military action against Russia as necessary because of Russian aggression as demonstrated by the mobilization of the Russian army that had resulted in Germany mobilizing in response. After Germany declared war on Russia, France with its alliance with Russia prepared a general mobilization in expectation of war. On 3 August 1914, Germany responded to this action by declaring war on France. Germany, facing a two - front war, enacted what was known as the Schlieffen Plan, that involved German armed forces needing to move through Belgium and swing south into France and towards the French capital of Paris. This plan was hoped to quickly gain victory against the French and allow German forces to concentrate on the Eastern Front. Belgium was a neutral country and would not accept German forces crossing its territory. Germany disregarded Belgian neutrality and invaded the country to launch an offensive towards Paris. This caused Great Britain to declare war against the German Empire, as the action violated the Treaty of London that both nations signed in 1839 guaranteeing Belgian neutrality and defense of the kingdom if a nation reneged. Subsequently, several states declared war on Germany in late August 1914, with Italy declaring war on Austria - Hungary in 1915 and Germany on August 27, 1916, the United States declaring war on Germany on April 6, 1917 and Greece declaring war on Germany in July 1917. Colonies and dependencies Main article : German colonial empire Europe Upon its founding in 1871, the German Empire controlled Alsace - Lorraine as an `` imperial territory '' incorporated from France after the Franco - Prussian War. It was held as part of Germany 's sovereign territory. Africa Germany held multiple African colonies at the time of World War I. All of Germany 's African colonies were invaded and occupied by Allied forces during the war. Cameroon, German East Africa, and German Southwest Africa were German colonies in Africa. Togoland was a German protectorate in Africa. Asia The Kiautschou Bay concession was a German dependency in East Asia leased from China in 1898. It was occupied by Japanese forces following the Siege of Tsingtao. Pacific German New Guinea was a German protectorate in the Pacific. It was occupied by Australian forces in 1914. German Samoa was a German protectorate following the Tripartite Convention. It was occupied by the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in 1914. Austria - Hungary Main article : Austria - Hungary Austro - Hungarian soldiers in trench on the Italian front during World War I. Austro - Hungarian soldiers marching up Mount Zion in Jerusalem in the Ottoman Empire, during the Middle Eastern campaign. War justifications Austria - Hungary regarded the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand as being orchestrated with the assistance of Serbia. The country viewed the assassination as setting a dangerous precedent of encouraging the country 's South Slav population to rebel and threaten to tear apart the multinational country. Austria - Hungary formally sent an ultimatum to Serbia demanding a full - scale investigation of Serbian government complicity in the assassination, and complete compliance by Serbia in agreeing to the terms demanded by Austria - Hungary. Serbia submitted to accept most of the demands, however Austria - Hungary viewed this as insufficient and used this lack of full compliance to justify military intervention. These demands have been viewed as a diplomatic cover for what was going to be an inevitable Austro - Hungarian declaration of war on Serbia. Austria - Hungary had been warned by Russia that the Russian government would not tolerate Austria - Hungary crushing Serbia. However, with Germany supporting Austria - Hungary 's actions, the Austro - Hungarian government hoped that Russia would not intervene and that the conflict with Serbia would be a regional conflict. Austria - Hungary 's invasion of Serbia resulted in Russia declaring war on the country and Germany in turn declared war on Russia, setting off the beginning of the clash of alliances that resulted in the World War. Territory Austria - Hungary was internally divided into two states with their own governments, joined in communion through the Habsburg throne. Austrian Cisleithania contained various duchies and principalities but also the Kingdom of Bohemia, the Kingdom of Dalmatia, the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria. Hungarian Transleithania comprised the Kingdom of Hungary and the Kingdom of Croatia - Slavonia. In Bosnia and Herzegovina sovereign authority was shared by both Austria and Hungary. Ottoman Empire Main article : Ottoman Empire Ottoman soldiers in military preparations for an assault on the Suez Canal in 1914. Kaiser Wilhelm II visiting the Turkish cruiser Yavuz Sultan Selim during his stay in Istanbul in October 1917 as a guest of Sultan Mehmed V. War justifications The Ottoman Empire joined the war on the side of the Central Powers in November 1914. The Ottoman Empire had gained strong economic connections with Germany through the Berlin - to - Baghdad railway project that was still incomplete at the time. The Ottoman Empire made a formal alliance with Germany signed on 2 August 1914. The alliance treaty expected that the Ottoman Empire would become involved in the conflict in a short amount of time. However, for the first several months of the war the Ottoman Empire maintained neutrality though it allowed a German naval squadron to enter and stay near the strait of Bosphorus. Ottoman officials informed the German government that the country needed time to prepare for conflict. Germany provided financial aid and weapons shipments to the Ottoman Empire. After pressure escalated from the German government demanding that the Ottoman Empire fulfill its treaty obligations, or else Germany would expel the country from the alliance and terminate economic and military assistance, the Ottoman government entered the war with the recently acquired cruisers from Germany, the Yavuz Sultan Selim ( formerly SMS Goeben ) and the Midilli ( formerly SMS Breslau ) launching a naval raid on the Russian port of Odessa, thus engaging in a military action in accordance with its alliance obligations with Germany. Russia and the Triple Entente declared war on the Ottoman Empire. Bulgaria Main article : Kingdom of Bulgaria See also : Bulgaria during World War I War justifications Bulgarian soldiers firing at an incoming aircraft. Bulgaria was still resentful after its defeat in July 1913 at the hands of Serbia, Greece and Romania. It signed a treaty of defensive alliance with the Ottoman Empire on 19 August 1914. It was the last country to join the Central Powers, which Bulgaria did in October 1915 by declaring war on Serbia. It invaded Serbia in conjunction with German and Austro - Hungarian forces. Bulgaria held claims on the region of Vardar Macedonia then held by Serbia following the Balkan Wars of 1912 - 1913 and ( from the Bulgarian point of view ), the costly Treaty of Bucharest ( 1913 ). As a condition of entering WW1 on the side of the Central Powers, Bulgaria was granted the right to reclaim that territory. Declarations of war Date Declared by Declared against 1915 October 14 Bulgaria Serbia October 15 United Kingdom Montenegro Bulgaria October 16 France Bulgaria October 19 Italy Russia Bulgaria 1916 September 1 Bulgaria Romania 1917 July 2 Greece Bulgaria Co-belligerents Dervish state The Dervish State was a rebel Somali state seeking independence of Somali territories. Dervish forces fought against Italian and British forces in Italian Somaliland and British Somaliland during World War I in the Somaliland Campaign. The Dervish State received support from Germany and the Ottoman Empire. It also briefly received support by the Ethiopian Empire from 1915 - 1916. South African Republic In opposition to the Union of South Africa, which had joined the war, Boer rebels founded the South African Republic in 1914 and engaged in the Maritz Rebellion. Germany assisted the rebels, and the rebels operated in and out of the German colony of German South - West Africa. The rebels were defeated by British imperial forces. Sultanate of Darfur The Sultanate of Darfur forces fought against British forces in Anglo - Egyptian Sudan during World War I in the Anglo - Egyptian Darfur Expedition. Client states During 1917 and 1918, the Finns under Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim and Lithuanian nationalists fought Russia for a common cause. With the Bolshevik attack of late 1917, the General Secretariat of Ukraine sought military protection first from the Central Powers and later from the armed forces of the Entente. The Ottoman Empire also had its own allies in Azerbaijan and the Northern Caucasus. The three nations fought alongside each other under the Army of Islam in the Battle of Baku. German client states Belarus ( Belarusian People 's Republic ) The Belarusian People 's Republic was a client state of Germany created in 1918. Courland and Semigallia The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia was a client state of Germany created in 1918. Crim ( Crimean Regional Government ) The Crimean Regional Government was a client state of Germany created in 1918. Don ( Don Republic ) The Don Republic was closely associated with the German Empire and fought against the Bolsheviks. Finland ( Kingdom of Finland ) The Kingdom of Finland was a client state of Germany created in 1918. Prior to the declaration of the kingdom, Finland existed as an autonomous Grand Dutchy of Russia since 1809. Kuban ( Kuban People 's Republic ) The Kuban People 's Republic was a client state of Germany created in 1918. Lithuania ( Kingdom of Lithuania ) The Kingdom of Lithuania was a client state of Germany created in 1918. Northern Caucasus ( Mountainous Republic of the Northern Caucasus ) The Mountainous Republic of the Northern Caucasus was associated with the Central Powers. Georgia ( Democratic Republic of Georgia ) The Democratic Republic of Georgia declared independence in 1918 which then to led border conflicts between newly formed republic and Ottoman Empire. Soon after Ottoman Empire invaded republic and quickly reached Borjomi. this forced Georgia to ask for help from Germany which they got. Germany forced Ottomans too withdraw from Georgian territories and recognize its sovereignty on its borders. Germany, Georgia and Ottomans signed a peace treaty, the Treaty of Batum which ended conflict with last two. in return Georgia become Germany 's `` ally ''. this time period of Georgian - German friendship was known as German Caucasus expedition. Poland ( Kingdom of Poland ) The Kingdom of Poland was a client state of Germany created in 1916. This government was recognized by the emperors of Germany and Austria - Hungary in November 1916, and it adopted a constitution in 1917. The decision to create a state of Poland was taken by Germany in order to attempt to legitimize its military occupation amongst the Polish inhabitants, following upon German propaganda sent to Polish inhabitants in 1915 that German soldiers were arriving as liberators to free Poland from subjugation by Russia. The state was utilized by the German government alongside punitive threats to induce Polish landowners living in the German - occupied Baltic territories to move to the state and sell their Baltic property to Germans in exchange for moving to Poland, and efforts were made to induce similar emigration of Poles from Prussia to the state. Ukraine ( Ukrainian State ) The Ukrainian State was a client state of Germany led by Pavlo Skoropadskyi, who overthrew the government of the Ukrainian People 's Republic. United Baltic Duchy The United Baltic Duchy was a proposed client state of Germany created in 1918. Ottoman client states Azerbaijan ( Azerbaijan Democratic Republic ) In 1918, the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, facing Bolshevik revolution and opposition from the Muslim Musavat Party, was then occupied by the Ottoman Empire, which expelled the Bolsheviks while supporting the Musavat Party. The Ottoman Empire maintained a presence in Azerbaijan until the end of the war in November 1918. Jabal Shammar Jabal Shammar was an Arab state in the Middle East that was closely associated with the Ottoman Empire. Controversial cases States listed in this section were not officially members of the Central Powers, but at some point during the war engaged in cooperation with one or more Central Powers members on level that makes their neutrality disputable. Ethiopia During the Somaliland Campaign, from the period of 1915 to 1916, the Ethiopian Empire gave aid to the Dervish state. Non-state combatants See also : Zimmermann Telegram Other movements supported the efforts of the Central Powers for their own reasons, such as the radical Irish Nationalists who launched the Easter Rising in Dublin in April 1916 ; they referred to their `` gallant allies in Europe ''. However, the majority of Irish Nationalists supported the British and allied war effort up until 1916 when the Irish political landscape was changing. In 1914, Józef Piłsudski was permitted by Germany and Austria - Hungary to form independent Polish legions. Piłsudski wanted his legions to help the Central Powers defeat Russia and then side with France and the UK and win the war with them. Kaocen revolt Zaian War Irish Republican Brotherhood Hindu -- German Conspiracy Mexican Revolution Niedermayer -- Hentig Expedition Senussi Campaign Polish Legions Volta - Bani War BMORK Armistice and treaties Bulgaria signed an armistice with the Allies on 29 September 1918, following a successful Allied advance in Macedonia. The Ottoman Empire followed suit on 30 October 1918 in the face of British and Arab gains in Palestine and Syria. Austria and Hungary concluded ceasefires separately during the first week of November following the disintegration of the Habsburg Empire and the Italian offensive at Vittorio Veneto ; Germany signed the armistice ending the war on the morning of 11 November 1918 after the Hundred Days Offensive, and a succession of advances by New Zealand, Australian, Canadian, Belgian, British, French and US forces in north - eastern France and Belgium. There was no unified treaty ending the war ; the Central Powers were dealt with in separate treaties. Central Powers by date of armistice Flag Name Date Bulgaria 000000001918 - 09 - 29 - 0000 29 September 1918 Ottoman Empire 000000001918 - 10 - 30 - 0000 30 October 1918 Austria - Hungary 000000001918 - 11 - 04 - 0000 4 November 1918 German Empire 000000001918 - 11 - 11 - 0000 11 November 1918 Central Powers treaties Flag Name Treaty of Austria Saint - Germain Bulgaria Neuilly Germany Versailles Hungary Trianon Ottoman Empire Turkey Sèvres Lausanne Central Powers ' military deaths. A postcard depicting the flags of the Central Powers ' countries. The collapse of the Central Powers in 1918. The Leaders of Central Powers in 1914. Leaders Main article : Leaders of the Central Powers of World War I See also World War I portal Axis powers Participants in World War I Treaty of Versailles Triple Entente Footnotes Jump up ^ All figures presented are for the year 1913. References Jump up ^ Hindenburg, Paul von. `` Out of my life ''. Internet Archive. p. 113. Jump up ^ Meyer, G.J. ( 2007 ). A World Undone : The Story of the Great War, 1914 to 1918. Delta Trade Paperback. ISBN 0 - 553 - 38240 - 3. Jump up ^ S.N. Broadberry, Mark Harrison. The Economics of World War I. illustrated ed. Cambridge University Press, 2005, pp. 9 - 10. Jump up ^ Spencer Tucker ( 1996 ). `` The European Powers in the First World War ''. p. 173. ^ Jump up to : Cashman, Greg ; Robinson, Leonard C. An Introduction to the Causes of War : Patterns of Interstate Conflict from World War I to Iraq. Rowman & Littlefield. 2007. P57 ^ Jump up to : Meyer, G.J. A World Undone : The Story of the Great War, 1914 to 1918. Delta Book. 2006. P39. ^ Jump up to : Meyer, G.J. A World Undone : The Story of the Great War, 1914 to 1918. Delta Book. 2006. P95. Jump up ^ Hagen, William W. German History in Modern Times : Four Lives of the Nation. P228. Jump up ^ Tucker, Spencer C. A Global Chronology of Conflict : From the Ancient World to the Modern Middle East : From the Ancient World to the Modern Middle East. ABC - CLIO. 2009. P1556. ^ Jump up to : Cashman, Greg ; Robinson, Leonard C. An Introduction to the Causes of War : Patterns of Interstate Conflict from World War I to Iraq. Rowman & Littlefield. 2007. P61 Jump up ^ Hickey, Michael. The First World War : Volume 4 The Mediterranean Front 1914 - 1923. P31. ^ Jump up to : Afflerbach, Holger ; David Stevenson, David. An Improbable War : The Outbreak of World War 1 and European Political Culture. Berghan Books. 2012. P. 292. ^ Jump up to : Kent, Mary. The Great Powers and the End of the Ottoman Empire. end ed. Frank Cass. 1998. P119 Jump up ^ Afflerbach, Holger ; David Stevenson, David. An Improbable War : The Outbreak of World War I and European Political Culture. Berghan Books. 2012. P. 293. Jump up ^ Hall, Richard C. `` Bulgaria in the First World War ''. Russia 's Great War and Revolution. Retrieved 22 September 2017. Jump up ^ Jelavich, Charles ; Jelavich, Barbara ( 1986 ). The establishment of the Balkan national states, 1804 - 1920 ( 1st pbk. ed. ). Seattle : University of Washington Press. pp. 284 -- 297. ISBN 978 - 0295964133. Jump up ^ Mukhtar, Mohammed ( 25 February 2003 ). Historical Dictionary of Somalia. Scarecrow Press. p. 126. Retrieved 28 February 2017. Jump up ^ The Regency Kingdom has been referred to as a puppet state by Norman Davies in Europe : A history ( Google Print, p. 910 ) ; by Jerzy Lukowski and Hubert Zawadzki in A Concise History of Poland ( Google Print, p. 218 ) ; by Piotr J. Wroblel in Chronology of Polish History and Nation and History ( Google Print, p. 454 ) ; and by Raymond Leslie Buell in Poland : Key to Europe ( Google Print, p. 68 : `` The Polish Kingdom... was merely a pawn ( of Germany ) '' ). Jump up ^ J.M. Roberts. Europe 1880 - 1945. P. 232. Jump up ^ Aviel Roshwald. Ethnic Nationalism and the Fall of Empires : Central Europe, the Middle East and Russia, 1914 - 23. Routledge, 2002. P. 117. Jump up ^ Annemarie Sammartino. The Impossible Border : Germany and the East, 1914 - 1922. Cornell University, 2010. P. 36 - 37. Jump up ^ Kataryna Wolczuk. The Moulding of Ukraine : The Constitutional Politics of State Formation. P37. ^ Jump up to : Zvi Lerman, David Sedik. Rural Transition in Azerbaijan. P12. Jump up ^ Hala Mundhir Fattah. The Politics of Regional Trade in Iraq, Arabia, and the Gulf, 1745 - 1900. P121. Jump up ^ Davis, Robert T., ed. ( 2010 ). U.S. Foreign Policy and National Security : Chronology and Index for the 20th Century. 1. Santa Barbara, California : Praeger Security International. p. 49. ISBN 978 - 0 - 313 - 38385 - 4. World War I Home fronts Theatres European Balkans Western Front Eastern Front Italian Front Middle Eastern Gallipoli Sinai and Palestine Caucasus Persia Mesopotamia South Arabia African South West East Kamerun Togoland North Asian and Pacific Tsingtao German New Guinea and Samoa At sea North Atlantic U-boat campaign Mediterranean North Sea Baltic Indian, Pacific and South Atlantic Oceans Papeete Madras Penang Cocos Coronel Falkland Islands Más a Tierra Principal participants ( people ) Entente powers Belgium Brazil China France French Empire Greece Italy Japan Montenegro Portuguese Empire Romania Russia Russian Empire Russian Republic Serbia United Kingdom British Empire United States Central Powers Germany Austria - Hungary Ottoman Empire Bulgaria Timeline Pre-War conflicts Scramble for Africa ( 1880 -- 1914 ) Russo - Japanese War ( 1905 ) First Moroccan ( Tangier ) Crisis ( 1905 -- 06 ) Agadir Crisis ( 1911 ) Italo - Turkish War ( 1911 -- 12 ) French conquest of Morocco ( 1911 -- 12 ) First Balkan War ( 1912 -- 13 ) Second Balkan War ( 1913 ) Prelude Origins Sarajevo assassination Anti-Serb riots in Sarajevo July Crisis Autumn 1914 Battle of the Frontiers Battle of Cer First Battle of the Marne Siege of Tsingtao Battle of Tannenberg Battle of Galicia Battle of the Masurian Lakes Battle of Kolubara Battle of Sarikamish Race to the Sea First Battle of Ypres 1915 Second Battle of the Masurian Lakes Second Battle of Ypres Battle of Gallipoli Second Battle of Artois Battles of the Isonzo Gorlice -- Tarnów Offensive Great Retreat Second Battle of Champagne Kosovo Offensive Siege of Kut Battle of Loos 1916 Erzurum Offensive Battle of Verdun Lake Naroch Offensive Battle of Asiago Battle of Jutland Battle of the Somme first day Brusilov Offensive Baranovichi Offensive Battle of Romani Monastir Offensive Battle of Transylvania 1917 Capture of Baghdad First Battle of Gaza Zimmermann Telegram Second Battle of Arras Second Battle of the Aisne Kerensky Offensive Third Battle of Ypres ( Passchendaele ) Battle of Mărășești Battle of Caporetto Southern Palestine Offensive Battle of Cambrai Armistice of Erzincan 1918 Operation Faustschlag Treaty of Brest - Litovsk Spring Offensive Second Battle of the Marne Battle of Baku Hundred Days Offensive Vardar Offensive Battle of Megiddo Third Transjordan attack Meuse - Argonne Offensive Battle of Vittorio Veneto Battle of Aleppo Armistice of Salonica Armistice of Mudros Armistice of Villa Giusti Armistice with Germany Other conflicts Mexican Revolution ( 1910 -- 20 ) Somaliland Campaign ( 1910 -- 20 ) Libyan resistance movement ( 1911 -- 43 ) Maritz Rebellion ( 1914 -- 15 ) Zaian War ( 1914 -- 21 ) Indo - German Conspiracy ( 1914 -- 19 ) Senussi Campaign ( 1915 -- 16 ) Volta - Bani War ( 1915 -- 17 ) Easter Rising ( 1916 ) Anglo - Egyptian Darfur Expedition ( 1916 ) Kaocen Revolt ( 1916 -- 17 ) Central Asian Revolt ( 1916 - 17 ) Russian Revolution ( 1917 ) Finnish Civil War ( 1918 ) Post-War conflicts Russian Civil War ( 1917 -- 21 ) Ukrainian -- Soviet War ( 1917 -- 21 ) Armenian -- Azerbaijani War ( 1918 -- 20 ) Georgian -- Armenian War ( 1918 ) German Revolution ( 1918 -- 19 ) Revolutions and interventions in Hungary ( 1918 -- 20 ) Hungarian -- Romanian War ( 1918 -- 19 ) Greater Poland Uprising ( 1918 -- 19 ) Estonian War of Independence ( 1918 -- 20 ) Latvian War of Independence ( 1918 -- 20 ) Lithuanian Wars of Independence ( 1918 -- 20 ) Third Anglo - Afghan War ( 1919 ) Egyptian Revolution ( 1919 ) Polish -- Ukrainian War ( 1918 -- 19 ) Polish -- Soviet War ( 1919 -- 21 ) Irish War of Independence ( 1919 -- 21 ) Turkish War of Independence Greco - Turkish War ( 1919 -- 22 ) Turkish -- Armenian War ( 1920 ) Iraqi revolt ( 1920 ) Polish -- Lithuanian War ( 1920 ) Vlora War ( 1920 ) Franco - Syrian War ( 1920 ) Soviet -- Georgian War ( 1921 ) Irish Civil War ( 1922 -- 23 ) Aspects Opposition Pacifism Anti-war movement Deployment Schlieffen Plan ( German ) Plan XVII ( French ) Warfare Military engagements Naval warfare Convoy system Air warfare Cryptography Room 40 Horse use Poison gas Railways Strategic bombing Technology Trench warfare Total war Christmas truce Last surviving veterans Civilian impact Atrocities Prisoners Casualties Economic history 1918 flu pandemic Destruction of Kalisz Rape of Belgium German occupation of Belgium German occupation of Luxembourg German occupation of northeastern France Ober Ost Ottoman people Armenian Genocide Assyrian genocide Pontic Greek genocide Urkun ( Kyrgyzstan ) Blockade of Germany Women Australia Popular culture German prisoners of war in the United States Agreements Partition of the Ottoman Empire Sykes -- Picot Agreement Agreement of Saint - Jean - de-Maurienne French - Armenian Agreement Damascus Protocol Paris Peace Conference Venizelos -- Tittoni agreement Treaties Treaty of Brest - Litovsk Treaty of Lausanne Treaty of London Treaty of Neuilly Treaty of St. Germain Treaty of Sèvres Treaty of Trianon Treaty of Versailles Consequences Aftermath `` Fourteen Points '' League of Nations World War I memorials Centenary outbreak Portal History of World War I by region and country Africa Angola East Africa Egypt Liberia Morocco South Africa South West Africa Southern Rhodesia North America Canada United States South America Brazil Asia Caucasus India Iran Iraq Japan Levant Siam Vietnam Yemen Europe Austria - Hungary Belgium Bulgaria Croatia Estonia France Germany Greece Hungary Ireland Italy Luxembourg Poland Ottoman Empire Portugal Romania Russia Serbia Spain Sweden Switzerland Ukraine United Kingdom Oceania Australia New Zealand Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Central_Powers&oldid=833799543 '' Categories : Former countries in Europe States and territories established in 1914 States and territories disestablished in 1918 World War I 20th - century military alliances Austria - Hungary in World War I Bulgaria in World War I German Empire in World War I Ottoman Empire in World War I Germany -- Ottoman Empire relations Military alliances involving Austria - Hungary Military alliances involving Bulgaria Military alliances involving the German Empire Military alliances involving the Ottoman Empire Former countries in Africa Former countries in Asia 1914 establishments in Europe 1914 establishments in Austria - Hungary 1914 establishments in Austria 1914 establishments in Bulgaria 1914 establishments in Hungary 1914 establishments in the Ottoman Empire 1918 disestablishments in Europe 1918 disestablishments in Austria - Hungary 1918 disestablishments in Austria 1918 disestablishments in Bulgaria 1918 disestablishments in Hungary 1918 disestablishments in the Ottoman Empire 20th century in international relations Hidden categories : Use dmy dates from December 2017 Articles containing German - language text Articles containing Hungarian - 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Question: who made up the central powers in world war 1
Answer: Germany