The Lion's Pride Lion's Pride Volume 12 (Spring 2019) | Page 28

To set the stage: the original terms used for the two sides are the
“Entente” and the “Central Powers.” The first began as a prewar alliance
structure, called the “Triple Entente,” between the Russian Empire,
France, and Great Britain. As the war progressed and other countries
became involved, the alliance remained the “Entente” (French for
“agreement” or “friendship.”) The Entente are sometimes called the
“Allied Powers,” but this is frequently done in hindsight after World
War II. The opposing belligerents were called the “Central Powers,”
with the German Empire as the dominant partner, the Austro-Hungarian
Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria. The name comes from their
geographic location between France and Russia. A simple map of the
belligerents illustrates the Theater of War in Europe: