In June 1914 the First World War broke out between Great Britain, France, Russia and Japan on one side joined later by Italy and USA and Germany, Austria-Hungary and Turkey on the other. In India the years of the war marked the maturing of nationalism. In the beginning the Indian nationalist leaders including Lokmanya Tilak who had been released in June 1914 decided to support the war effort of the government in the mistaken belief that great Britain would repay India's loyalty with gratitude and enable India to take a long step forward on the road to self-govt.They did not realise fully that the different powers were fighting the First World War precisely to safe-guard their existing colonies.