The Allied Powers and the Central Powers were the two main alliances of nations that fought in World War I. The majority of the Allied Powers were created to stand in opposition to the Central Powers’ and Germany’s aggressiveness. Because they started out as an alliance of France, Britain, and Russia known as the Triple Entente, they were also known as the Entente Powers.
Countries
France
On August 3, 1914, Germany declared war on France. Following the declaration of war by Germany and Russia, France began to prepare for war. France was where the majority of the fighting along the Western Front occurred.
England –
Germany invaded Belgium, prompting Britain to join the conflict. They started hostilities with Germany on August 4, 1914. To halt Germany’s advance across Western Europe, British soldiers joined French soldiers on the Western Front.
Russia
The Russian Empire entered the conflict first. On July 31, 1914, Germany declared war on Russia. They anticipated that Russia would protect Serbia from Austria-Hungary’s invasion on behalf of Germany. Polen and Finland were also parts of the Russian Empire. Following the Russian Revolution, Russia withdrew from the Allied Powers and, on March 3, 1918, signed a peace treaty with Germany.
United States –
Throughout the conflict, the US strove to maintain its neutrality. However, on April 6, 1917, it declared war on Germany and joined the conflict as an ally of the Allied Powers. A total of 4,355,000 American soldiers were called up for duty throughout the conflict, and almost 116,000 of them died.
Japan, Italy, Belgium, Brazil, Greece, Montenegro, Romania, and Serbia were additional Allies.
Leaders
Georges Clemenceau, France
From 1917 to 1920, Clemenceau served as France’s prime minister. France was kept together by his leadership during the most trying times of the war. He went by the moniker “The Tiger.” At the peace negotiations, Clemenceau represented France and argued for strong sanctions against Germany.
David Lloyd George, Britain
For the most of the war, Lloyd George served as British prime minister. He supported Britain’s involvement in the conflict and helped to keep the nation together while it was going on.
Britain: King George V –
George V, the King of Britain throughout the war, served as a symbolic leader with limited authority and frequently went to the front to encourage the British soldiers.
Tsar Nicolas II of Russia
At the outbreak of World War I, Tsar Nicholas II was in charge of Russia. He joined the conflict to protect Serbia. The Russian people, however, thought the military effort was a failure. Nicolas II was deposed in 1917 as a result of the Russian Revolution. In 1918, he was executed.
Woodrow Wilson, president of the United States
Woodrow Wilson won reelection on the promise of keeping America out of the conflict. He had no other option, though, and in 1917 he declared war on Germany. Wilson pushed for softer sanctions against Germany after the war because he understood how crucial a strong German economy would be for the rest of Europe.
Military Commanders
France:
Robert Nivelle, Joseph Joffre, and Marshall Ferdinand Foch
Britain:
John Jellicoe, Herbert Kitchener, and Douglas Haig
Russia:
Nikolai Ivanov, Alexander Samsonov, and Aleksey Brusilov
United States:
General John J. Pershing
Facts to Know About the Allied Powers
Belgium declared itself neutral at the beginning of the war, but after Germany attacked, it sided with the Allies.
The Allies mobilised an estimated 42 million military men during the conflict. 12,925,000 people were injured in combat, while 5,541,000 people died.
Russia and France both had roughly 1,400,000 soldiers dead, which made them the two Allied nations with the highest death tolls.
Tsar Nicholas II was deposed during the Russian Revolution, and Vladimir Lenin was appointed as the new head of Soviet Russia. Lenin made peace with Germany because he wanted Russia to leave the conflict.
Even though it never held an official membership in the Allies, the United States referred to itself as a “Associated Power.”