Portugal in the Great War: Encyclopedia II - Portugal in the Great War - 1914–1915 Neutral Portugal

Portugal in the Great War - 1914–1915 Neutral Portugal

Serb separatists assassinate Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary in Sarajevo, Bosnia, on June, 28, 1914. Most commentators today accept this killing as the spark that started the Great War.

As a consequence of the murder, Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia. Following a series of individual war declarations, Germany, Austria-Hungary and Turkey enter the war against France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the British Empire, Luxembourg, Belgium, Montenegro, Serbia and Japan.

In May, 1915, Italy enters the war on the Allies' side and Bulgaria signs military alliances with Turkey and Germany in September. Other countries take up arms during the following years, like Romania, the United States and China.

Despite its old alliance with Britain, Portugal did not form a part of the system of alliances which became enemies in World War I and thus kept its neutrality during the first years of war. Portugal suffered from the German U-Boat warfare which sought to blockade the United Kingdom — at the time the most important market for Portuguese products. Clashes also occurred with German troops in the south of the Portuguese colony of Angola, but both the Portuguese and the German governments formally stuck to Portuguese neutrality.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "1914–1915 Neutral Portugal", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki