The Triple Entente (from

French entente [ɑ̃tɑ̃t] "friendship, understanding,
agreement") was the understanding linking the Russian
Empire, the French Third Republic, and the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland after the signing
of the Anglo-Russian Entente on 31 August 1907. The
understanding between the three powers,
supplemented by agreements with Japan and Portugal,
constituted a powerful counterweight to the Triple
Alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary and
the Kingdom of Italy, though Italy did not side with
Germany and Austria during World War I, and joined
the Entente Powers instead.

Historians continue to debate the importance of the

alliance system inigniting the Great War. At the start
of World War I in 1914, all three Triple Entente
members entered it as Allies against the Central
Powers, Germany and Austria-Hungary.[1]
The Triple Alliance was a military alliance
among Germany, Austria–Hungary, and Italy. It lasted
from 20 May 1882[1][2] until World War I in 1914.[3] Each
member promised mutual support in the event of an attack
by any other great power, or, in the case of Germany and
Italy, an attack by France alone.[4] In a supplementary
declaration, Italy specified that its undertakings could not
be regarded as being directed against Great Britain.
Shortly after renewing the Alliance in June 1902, Italy
secretly extended a similar guarantee to France.[1] By a
particular agreement, neither Austria–Hungary nor Italy
would change the status quo in the Balkans without
previous consultation.[a]

When Austria–Hungary found themselves at war in August

1914 with the rival Triple Entente, Italy pledged to support
the Central Powers: Germany,Austria-Hungary, and later
the Ottoman Empire (Turkey). However, because
Germany and Austria–Hungary had taken the offensive
while the Triple Alliance was supposed to have been a
defensive alliance, Italy did not enter into the war. Later
on, Italy entered the conflict on the side of the Entente,
declaring war against Austria–Hungary in May 1915[3] and
Germany in August 1916. Carol I of Romania, through his
Prime MinisterIon I. C. Brătianu, had also secretly pledged
to support the Triple Alliance, but he too remained neutral
since Austria-Hungary started the war.

The Central
Powers (German: Mittelmächte; Hungarian: Közpon
ti hatalmak; Turkish: İttifak Devletleri or Bağlaşma
Devletleri;Bulgarian: Централни сили Tsentralni
sili), consisting of Germany,Austria-Hungary,
the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria – hence also
known as the Quadruple
Alliance[1] (German: Vierbund) – was one of the two
main factions during World War I (1914–18). It faced
and was defeated by the Allied Powers that had
formed around theTriple Entente, after which it was
dissolved.
The Powers' origin was the alliance of Germany and
Austria-Hungary in 1879. The Ottoman Empire and
Bulgaria did not join until after World War I had
begun.