After the declaration of war on the Central Powers, the Australian Army raised the First Australian Imperial Force (AIF) with an initial recruitment of 52,561 out of a promised 20,000 men. A smaller expeditionary force, the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force was created to deal with the German Pacific colonial holdings; with recruitment beginning on the 10th of August 1914 and operations starting 10 days later.[9] During preparations to depart Australia, the Ottoman Empire declared war and joined the Central Powers.