Central Powers

The Central Powers was the alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire who were co-belligerents during the Great War. The Central Powers were opposed by the Allied Powers, also known as the Triple Entente.

The pre-war alliance of Germany and Austria-Hungary formed the core of the central powers, which Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire joined once the war had begun. Italy, despite being part of the pre-war Triple Alliance with Germany and Austria-Hungary, refused to honor their alliance and eventually joined the Allied Powers.

The Central Powers were on the verge of losing the war when Emperor Karl I of Austria-Hungary brokered a peace deal with the allied powers. The Germans signed on to these peace negotiations, effectively ending the Great War and the alliance of the Central Powers.