Editing World War I reparations (section)

===Course of the war===
In 1914, following the [[Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand|assassination of Archduke Franz-Ferdinand]] by a Serb nationalist, the [[World War I|First World War]] broke out, with Austria-Hungary declaring war on Serbia, and Germany declaring war on and invading France and Belgium. For the next four years fighting raged across [[European theatre of World War I|Europe]], the [[Middle Eastern theatre of World War I|Middle East]], [[African theatre of World War I|Africa]], and [[Asian and Pacific theatre of World War I|Asia]].{{sfn|Simkins|Jukes|Hickey|2003|p=9}} On 8 January 1918, United States President [[Woodrow Wilson]] issued a statement that became known as the [[Fourteen Points]]. In part, this speech called for Germany to withdraw from the territory it had occupied and for the formation of a [[League of Nations]].{{sfn|Tucker|Roberts|2005|p=429}}<ref>[[s:Fourteen Points Speech|Fourteen Points Speech]]</ref> During the fourth quarter of 1918, the [[Central Powers]] began to collapse.{{sfn|Beller|2007|pp=182–195}} In particular, Austria-Hungary collapsed putting southern Germany at risk of invasion, Turkey surrendered freeing up Allied troops for action elsewhere, the German military was decisively defeated on the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]], and the German navy [[Kiel mutiny|mutinied]], all of which prompted domestic uprisings that became known as the [[German Revolution of 1918–19|German Revolution]].{{sfn|Simkins|2002|p=71}}{{sfn|Tucker|Roberts|2005|p=638}}{{sfn|Schmitt|1960|p=101}}

Germany signed an armistice with the allies on 11 November 1918. The armistice agreement included an agreement to pay "reparation for damage done" to the Allied countries.<ref name="Martin 273-274" />