The Triple Alliance and the Entente are military-political blocs formed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by the main European powers. During the First World War, these coalitions were the main opposing forces.
Triple Alliance
The beginning of the division of Europe into hostile camps was laid by the creation in 1879-1882 of the Triple Alliance, which included Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy. It was this military-political bloc that played a decisive role in the preparation and unleashing of the First World War.
The initiator of the creation of the Triple Alliance was Germany, which in 1879 concluded an alliance treaty with Austria-Hungary. The Austro-German Treaty, also known as the Dual Alliance, was primarily directed against France and Russia. Subsequently, this agreement became the basis for the creation of a military bloc, which was led by Germany, after which the European states were finally divided into 2 hostile camps.
In the spring of 1882, Italy joined the union of Austria-Hungary and Germany. On May 20, 1882, these countries entered into a secret Triple Alliance treaty. According to the treaty signed for a period of 5 years, the allies assumed obligations not to take part in any agreements directed against one of these states, to provide mutual support and consult on all political and economic issues. Also, all members of the Triple Alliance pledged, in the event of joint participation in the war, not to conclude a separate peace and to keep the Treaty of the Triple Alliance secret.
By the end of the 19th century, Italy, under the yoke of losses from the customs war with France, began to gradually change its political course. In 1902, she had to conclude an agreement with the French on neutrality in the event of an attack on France by Germany. Just before the outbreak of World War I, Italy, as a result of a secret agreement known as the London Pact, left the Triple Alliance and joined the Entente.
Entente
The response to the creation of the Triple Alliance was the creation in 1891 of the Franco-Russian Alliance, which later became the basis of the Entente. The strengthening of Germany, striving for hegemony in Europe and the secret creation of the Triple Alliance, led to retaliatory measures from Russia, France, and then Great Britain.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Great Britain, as a result of aggravated German-British contradictions, had to abandon the policy of "brilliant isolation", which presupposed non-participation in any military blocs and conclude military-political agreements with Germany's opponents. The British signed a treaty with France in 1904, 3 years later in 1907 an agreement was concluded with Russia. The concluded treaties actually formalized the creation of the Entente.
The confrontation between the Triple Alliance and the Entente led to the First World War, in which the Entente and its allies were opposed by a bloc of Central Powers led by Germany.
