The other two Central Powers, Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire, formally agreed at a conference on 6 September and the OKL was established the following day.

To achieve this, they decided that better military cooperation between the Central Powers would be required and suggested that the establishment of a Supreme War Command (Oberste Kriegsleitung, OKL), previously discussed at high political levels in Germany, be sped up.

The Austro-Hungarian Adjutant-General Johann Herbert von Herberstein [de] drafted an agreement for the establishment of the OKL that summer, under the supervision of the Germans.

The decisions of the OKL were binding on the commanders of the armies of the Central Powers, who were also required to submit regular reports to the German Emperor.

[6] In practice Wilhelm allowed Hindenburg to exercise command of the OKL on his behalf in almost all matters, though remaining subordinate to him.

[9] Hindenburg's first directive issued through the OKL was for the army commanders to hold their positions on the Western, Eastern, Italian and Macedonian fronts to preserve troops for the attack on Romania.

The Central Powers were unable to agree on terms and Germany permitted separate armistice negotiations to be held with the Romanians by each nation.

He was required to apologise to the German leaders in Spa, Belgium, and to agree to the dropping of the word joint (Gemeinsame) from the title of the OKL.