| | Learn more about History of Europe in the online encyclopedia. (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-05) |
 | | The Roman Empire had its centre in the Mediterranean Sea, controlling all the countries on its shores; the northern border was marked by the Rhine and Danube rivers; under emperor Trajan (2nd century A.D.) the empire reached its maximum expansion, including Britain, Romania and parts of Mesopotamia. |
 | | The empire brought peace, civilization and an efficient centralized government to the subject territories, but in the 3rd century A.D. a series of civil wars undermined its economic and social strength. |
 | | On one side were Germany, Austria-Hungary and Turkey (the Central Powers), while on the other side stood Serbia and the Triple Entente - the loose coalition of France, Britain and Russia, which were joined by Italy in 1915 and by the United States in 1917. |
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