Militarism created nations armed for war. Alliances created a practice that would increase the number of countries involved in a conflict. Nationalism created nations committed to ideals and cultural identity. Imperialism created larger nations and increased tension. The assassination created the spark. “Archduke Franz Ferdinand, nephew of Emperor Franz Josef and heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, is shot to death along with his wife by a Serbian nationalist in Sarajevo, Bosnia” (History, n.d. para. 1). Gavrilo Princip was a member of the Black Hand, a radical group in Serbia. The goal of the group was to break away from Austria-Hungary control. The confrontation would have stayed between the countries involved had in not been for the alliance system. (King & Wollmans, 2014).
As Russia supported Serbia, an Austro-Hungarian declaration of war was delayed until its leaders received assurances from German leader Kaiser Wilhelm that Germany would support their cause in the event of a Russian intervention–which would…involve Russia’s ally, France, and possibly Britain as well….Within a week, Russia, Belgium, France, Great Britain and Serbia had lined up against Austria-Hungary and Germany, and World War I had begun. (History, n.d. 3) |