Mitteleuropa is a German term approximately equal to Central Europe. Outside of Germany, the concept of Mitteleuropa may be best known for that policy of the Central Powers during World War I which assumed the creation of several buffer states in Central Europe, liberated from Imperial Russia and commonly viewed as puppet states. By their creation, growing dissent in the occupied areas could be answered, and resources needed to fight the war on the Western Front more efficiently could be spared.

The policy was realized after signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, in which Russia ceded most of the areas occupied by Germany and Austria-Hungary to the respective countries. Among the states thus created by the Central Powers were:

• Lithuania
• Belarusian National Republic
• Kingdom of Poland
• Latvia
• Estonia
• Ukrainian Peoples Republic

Some of the abovementioned countries (namely Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland) liberated themselves after the collapse of Imperial Germany and Austria-Hungary at the end of World War I. Soon they gained international recognition and participated in signing of the Versailles Treaty as members of the Entente. The other two (Belarus and Ukraine) were taken over by Soviet Russia and became Soviet Socialist Republics.