An Italian Alpini soldier slinking away from his erstwhile allies Austria-Hungary and Germany. The Entente Allies welcome him, France with open arms, Great Britain with a sack of money, and Russia. Italy was part of the Triple Alliance with Germany and Austria-Hungary, but declared neutrality on August 3, 1914. With promises of territorial gains, and a loan, it joined the Allies, declaring war on Austria-Hungary on May 23, 1915. The poem notes that although one comrade has fallen away, the other two hold a steadfast bond.

Es hatten drei Gesellen

Ein alt Kollegium

Doch als sich's sollte bewähren,

Da fiel der Eine um

Die anderen halten treulich

Ihr Bündnis stark und fest

Mit Gott zum Kampf und Siege

In Ost und Süd und West.



There were three comrades,

An old society,

But as it proved,

One fell,

But the others hold faithfully

Their alliance strong, steadfast,

With God for battle and victory

In East and South and West.

Other views: Larger, Back

Driebund, a new Triple Alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Turkey. The three emperors allied in the 1914/15 war of nations: Franz Josef, Emperor of Austria-Hungary, Sultan Mohammed V of Turkey, and Wilhelm II of the German Empire.

On August 2, 1914, Turkey signed a secret pact with Germany primarily directed against Russia.

on August 8, the German battleships, Goeben and Breslau entered Turkish waters in the Dardanelles Strait, one of the bodies of water separating Europe from Asia and leading to the Black Sea. The ships passed the forts on the north and southern shores that defended the strait (and that that von Sanders had been improving), crossed the Sea of Marmara, and, at the mouth ??? of the Bosphorus Strait leading to the Black Sea, laid anchor in Constantinople, capital of Turkey.

The Dreibund - Triple Alliance - became a Vierbund - Quadruple Alliance - when Bulgaria entered the war on . . .

It became a Dreibund again, when Bulgaria signed an armistice on September 29, 1918

The Alliance ended on

On October 31, 1918, Turkey, having lost in Mesopotamia and Palestine and with Allied forces of Salonika in striking distance of Constantinople, capitulated. Hmmm, Taylor, p. 244: On October 30, 1918, Turkey signs an “Armistice of Surrender” with the British.

Founded: 1914-10-30

End Date: 1918-10-30