A successful Allied counter-offensive later that year caused a collapse of the German frontline. Germany launched an offensive in the west in March 1918, but despite initial success, it left the German Army exhausted and demoralised. In early 1917, the United States entered the war on the side of the Allies, and later the same year, the Bolsheviks seized power in the Russian October Revolution, making peace with the Central Powers in early 1918. As the war expanded to more fronts, Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, Italy and others joined in from 1915 onward. The Eastern Front was more dynamic, but neither side could gain a decisive advantage, despite costly offensives. However, this failed, and by the end of 1914, the Western Front consisted of a continuous line of trenches stretching from the English Channel to Switzerland. German strategy in 1914 was to first defeat France, then transfer forces to the Russian front. Russia came to Serbia's defence, and by 4 August, Germany, France and Britain were drawn into the war, with the Ottoman Empire joining in November the same year. Austria-Hungary held Serbia responsible, and declared war on 28 July. This reached a breaking point on 28 June 1914, when a Bosnian Serb named Gavrilo Princip assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne. The first decade of the 20th century saw increasing diplomatic tension between the European great powers. Fighting took place throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Pacific, and parts of Asia. World War I (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was a global conflict fought between two coalitions, the Allied Powers and the Central Powers.
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