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DuringWorld War I a number of countries were conquered and controlled. Some of these countries were subsequently given new names and new government leaders loyal to the conquering country. These countries are known aspuppet states.Germany and theOttoman Empire were the two countries with puppet states. TheAllies had many more puppet states than all theCentral Powers collectively: the United Kingdom had the largestempire in the world.
In addition, several countries captured land in the years leading up to the war, which then became puppet states; those states which are immediately relevant to the war are also included here.
TheGerman Empire had a number of puppet states during World War I. All the states were previously under Russian control and had long been of interest to the regime.
| Created | Disestablished | Puppet State | Flag | Country/territory | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 December, 1917 | 17 July, 1919 | .svg) | Finland | ||
November 5, 1916 | November 11, 1918 | .svg) | Poland | TheCentral Powers' forces occupiedRussianCongress Poland in 1915 and in 1916 theGerman Empire andAustria-Hungary created a Polish Monarchy in order to exploit the occupied territories in an easier way and mobilize the Poles against the Russians (seePolish Legions). In 1918 the state became independent and formed the backbone of the new internationally recognizedSecond Polish Republic. | |
February 16, 1918 | November 9, 1918 |
| .svg) | Lithuania | After Russia's defeat and the territorial cessions of theTreaty of Brest-Litovsk, the Germans established a Lithuanian kingdom. However it becamean independent republic with Germany's defeat. |
March 8, 1918 | November 18, 1918 | Latvia | In 1915 the Imperial German forces occupied theRussianCourland Governorate and theTreaty of Brest-Litovsk ended thewar in the east, so the local ethnicBaltic Germans established a Duchy under the German crown from that part ofOber Ost, with a common return of civil administration in favor of military. This state was very swiftly merged with theBaltic State Duchy, and German-occupied territories ofRussian Empire in Livonia and Estonia, into a multi-ethnicUnited Baltic Duchy. | ||
March 9, 1918 | Government in exile (since 1919) |
| .svg) | Belarus | |
April 29, 1918 | December 14, 1918 |
| .svg) | Ukraine | |
May 26, 1918 | February 25, 1921 |
| .svg) | Georgia | |
June 25, 1918 | April 2, 1919 |
|  | Crimea | |
September 22, 1918 | November 28, 1918 | Latvia andEstonia |
| Created | Disestablished | Puppet State | Flag | Country/territory | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
August 31, 1913 | October 25, 1913 |  | Kingdom of Bulgaria | Was a provisional republic which was established by the Turkish minority in Thrace, after theOttoman Empire lost its lands in this region. It was the product of the Ottoman intelligence agency,Teşkilat-ı Mahsusa, in terms of organizational structure and organizers, and they had remarkably common characteristics with the other Turkish puppet government.[1] | |
| 6 March, 1917 | 30 November, 1922 |
|  | ||
May 28, 1918 | April 28, 1920 |
|  | Azerbaijan | |
December 1, 1918 | April 19, 1919 |
|  | Caucasus Viceroyalty | Was a provisional republic which was established by the Turkish minority in the Caucasus, after theOttoman Empire lost its lands in this region. It was the product of the Ottoman intelligence agency,Teşkilat-ı Mahsusa, in terms of organizational structure and organizers, and they had remarkably common characteristics with the other Turkish puppet government.[1] |
These countries were not under the control of the warring parties, but were created during the war. Specific countries were created for individual needs.
| Created | Disestablished | Puppet State | Flag | Country/territory | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
February, 1918 | March 20, 1918 |  | Soviet Russia | See also:DPRR-Soviet Russia relations The state, remotely controlled bySoviet Russia,[2] was founded byJoseph Stalin's close friendFyodor Artyom in 1918.[3] But the DKRR was disliked byVladimir Lenin. The capital of the republic was soon overthrown by the Germans again, and after the Soviet Red Army regained control of the territory, the country was dissolved at Lenin's request. |
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