World War I (The Global War Map Game)

Alliance System
Originally, there were two main alliances in Europe: The Triple Alliance, featuring Germany, Italy, and Austria-Hungary, and the Triple Entente, featuring France, Britain, and Russia. In the early leadup to World War I, Spain allied with both Austria-Hungary and France, putting it in a difficult situation. It also became allied with Nejd and Jabal Shammar in the Middle East. Meanwhile, France had an Entente with the Ottomans, who were in growing rifts with Austria-Hungary.

Austro-Romanian War and June Incident
In August 1913, Austria-Hungary invaded Romania, somewhat as a result of the Balkan War. As Romania began to lose, Dragos Nicolescu, a Romanian soldier, ran away from his encampment in Western Romania. Originally, he had planned to burn down an Austrian city, but when he reached Timisoara, he found out that the Austrian Prime Minister was coming to speak there three days later. Nicolescu fatally shot the Prime Minister on June 2, and was captured by the Austrians and was later hanged. Even still, France decided to back Romania, sending troops. Austria-Hungary convinced Spain to declare war on France. Spain then convinced the United Kingdom to turn on their allies and declare war on France. As Britain began its invasion of France though, France made a deal with Spain to make peace if Spain backed out of Romania. Spain agreed, and France also backed out of Romania, as Austria-Hungary was left to conquer it. Meanwhile, though, Britain refused to go to back out of France, believing it could conquer France and get its colonies. France then convinced Spain to turn on Britain, and Russia, Italy, China, Japan, Ottoman Empire, Thailand, and more would follow.