Central Powers

Initially, the members of the Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria–Hungary, Italy) created by Bismarck in 1882. As Italy remained neutral in 1914, and joined the Allies in 1915, the term was later used to describe Germany, Austria–Hungary, their ally Turkey, and later Bulgaria in World War 1.

The Central Powers were the nations of Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria, which fought against the Allies during World War I. At the beginning of the war, the German and Austro-Hungarian request of Italian intervention, was rejected by the Italian Government based on the fact that Austria and not Serbia declared war, so it was not a defensive war. Italy entered World War I on May 23, 1915, on the Allies' side

Following the outbreak of European war in August 1914, the Ottoman Empire intervened at the end of October against Russia, provoking declarations of war by the Triple Entente powers--Russia, France and Britain.

Bulgaria, still resentful after its defeat in July 1913 at the hands of Serbia, Greece, Romania and the Ottoman Empire, was the last nation to enter the war against the Entente, invading Serbia in conjunction with German and Austro-Hungarian forces in October 1915. Austria and Hungary concluded ceasefires separately during the first week of November following the disintegration of the Habsburg Empire, and Germany signed the armistice ending the war on the morning of 11 November after a succession of advances by Belgian, British, French and US forces in north-eastern France and Belgium.

Central powers surrender by order of date:

Bulgaria 29 September 1918 The Ottoman Empire 30 October 1918 Austria-Hungary 4 November 1918 Germany 11 November 1918