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Naval Minister Tirpitz encouraged Kaiser Wilhelm II to build a massive naval fleet
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Japan launched successful attacks upon Russian warships in Inchon, Korea, and at Port Arthur, in China.
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Japan's attacks on Korea and China did not go without consequence, The Japanese attacks of Port Arthur and Inchon resulted in a land invasion of Korea and Manchuria in 1904.
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The Entente Cordiale is put into place
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Resulted in no less than 110 socialist deputies
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In 1912, war outbroke between Italy and Turkey. Turkey lost, and was forced to hand over Libya, Rhodes, and the Dodecanese Islands to the Italians.
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Having concluded their peace with the Italians, Turkey once again found herself at war, this time with no fewer than four small nations over the possesion of Balkan territories; Greece, Serbia, Bulgaria, and later, Montenegro.
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Britain and France concluded a military agreement, the Anglo- French Naval Convention, which promised british protection of France's coastline if and when a German naval attack was launched.
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Bulgaria's former allies pushed back the newfound agressor, Bulgaria. Romania captured the Bulgarian capital Sofia, in August.
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The 1839 Treaty of London, that committed the British to defend Belgian neutrality, was discarded by Germany when they asked Britain to ignore it.
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The Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated on the 28th of July, 1914. His assassination took place in Sarajevo, and was performed by Gavrilo Princip, a member of a secretive group, the 'Black Hand'.
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Not satisfied with Serbia's response to her ultimatum, Austria- Hungary declared war with Serbia on the same day of Archduke Franz Ferdinand's assassination ( Jul 28th, 1914). Russia, bound by a treaty to Serbia, announced a mobilization of its vast army in her defence.
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bound to help Austria- Hungary by treaty, Germany viewed the Russian mobilization as an act of war against Austria-Hungary, and declared war on Russia.
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Bound by a treaty to Russia, France finds herself at war with Germany, and vicariously creating war between France and Austria- Hungary.
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Britain, bound by a loosley worded treaty, was also added to the mix of warring countries.
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Japan is forced into war as well, bound by a treaty to britain. Two days later, Austria- Hungary declared war on Japan.
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Italy is able to talk its way out of war by finding a loophole in the treaty. The treaty stated that Italy would protect Austria- Hungary and Germany in the event of a 'defensive war', Italy claimed that the two countries had an 'offensive position'.
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Preceding 1915, a number of minor conflicts broke out that helped spark the explosive that was World War I.
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A year after remaining 'under the radar' to war, Italy joins forces with Russia, Britain, and France, therefore allying Italy with the aforementioned three, Japan, Serbia, and colonies in Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, and the Union of South Africa.
