When where the Allied powers in World War 1 formed?

Answer 1

It took a long time. Germany became united into a single nation in the 1860s. This alarmed the French, who picked a fight with the new German nation, started a war, and lost. The French burned for revenge. As part of this French mindset the French made an alliance with Russia. This was an odd pair - Europe's most repressive monarchy and one of its few democracies. The obvious aim of the alliance was Germany, as any future war between Germany and either Russia or France would be a war with both. In resposne Germany made a formal alliance with the Hapsburg rulers of the neighboring Austro-Hungarian Empire.

The British and the French were not Allies. In fact they were ancient enemies, who had fought many wars. The Germans were the old ally of Britain, the British Royal Family was German, and the Kaiser and the British King were first cousins, both grandsons of Queen Victoria. But the Kaiser worried most thoughtful people. The military leaders of France and Great Britain had held informal talks at the staff level before WWI, but that was all. There was no formal alliance. There was an "Entente Cordiale" - "cordial understanding", expressed in a treaty which settled commercial disputes, but no military alliance. In the early days of the war the Allies were sometimes called the "Entente Powers". Britain fought pursuant to a Treaty Britain had signed guaranteeing Belgian neutrality. The French had also signed this Treaty, but fought more immediately because the Germans invaded France. Germany too had signed the Treaty guaranteeing Belgian neutrality, but cynically ignored the Treaty and invaded Belgium on the way to France, as a way of getting around the French frontier defenses.

The existence of the alliance between Russia and France was the root of all this. Germany's military leaders had to plan for a two-front war if they fought either France or Russia. The plan they arrived at was to defeat France quickly and then turn their attention to Russia. To defeat France quickly, they would go through Belgium and take the chance that the British might enter the war.

So, a Serb nationalist shot the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary (and his wife). The Austrians went to war with Serbia. Russia, though NOT OBLIGATED by any treaty or alliance, took the Serbs part. Now Austria was looking at a war with Serbia and Russia. Germany was Austria's ally, and so Germany would be fighting Russia too, which kicked in the plan to defeat France, by way of Belgium, bringing England in.

When the US entered the war there was no formal alliance between the Americans and anybody else. The Americans fought as an "associated power" of the allies.