How did such a relatively minor event as the assassination of an archduke start World War I?

Question

The assassination of the Austrian archduke was, considered in the context of _all Europe's_ near-explosive politics, a relatively minor event. So how did it cause such a major war?

Answer 1

Regional tensions in Europe contributed directly to the beginning of the war which were primarily a result of the power struggle between the Austro-Hungarian (German) and Russian empires over the control of the Balkans. Russia supported Serbian nationalism, albeit to bolster its expansionist designs over the region and to protect its southern flank against the powerful and rapidly industrializing German military. In contrast, the German empire was virulently opposed to the Serbian nationalist movement because its inherent alliance with Russia.

Before WWI five powerful and opposing regional/international alliances existed: Germany and Austria-Hungary, France and Russia, Russia and Serbia, Britain, France and Belgium and Japan and Britain. Moreover, an overlapping treaty between Russia, Great Britain and France, known as the Triple Entente formed a more powerful international threat to Germany.

In June 1714, the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, empire of the Austro-Hungarian empire, was assassinated by a member of a Serbian nationalist group (the Black Hand) resulting in Germany to quickly mobilize its forces for war. In July Germany declared war on the emergent Serbia and by extension, Russia.

Very quickly, Europe's other two most powerful empires were pulled into the conflict. France was quickly drawn into the fray because of its military alliance with Russia. Britain joined because Germany had attacked Belgium. After the conflict began the U.S, Ottoman Empire and other countries would join the conflict, forming the basis for an overarching struggle between the Allied and Central Powers.

Imperialism was also a factor if not the most important contributor to WWI.:

Britain had, by the beginning of the 20^th century, already occupied one-quarter of the globe (“the sun never sets on the British Empire,”) and was arguably the largest empire before the war. By the end of the 19th century the British empire had colonized Australia, New Zealand, Canada, India, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Burma, Hong Kong, several Pacific and Caribbean Islands, South Africa, Rhodesia and Egypt…and it wanted more!

France had occupied Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia and North-West Africa.

Germany had colonies in China, New Guinea, Samoa and South-West Africa and had plans for establishing colonial outposts in Africa and South America.

And let us not forget the United States, the international bastion of democracy. The US controlled most of the political-economy in Central and South America and Caribbean and even the Philippians, Hawaii, and other territories in the Pacific through what historians have called “economic-imperialism” and when that did not work, direct military occupation or “intervention.”



The imperial and expansionist ambition and completion of the nations over the world’s resources cultivated an explosive world order, a powder keg ready for any spark to ignite international war.

Answer 2

There are several major causes for World War I. The assassination of the Austrian Archduke and his wife by a Serbian nationalist was only one of several basic causes. . The acronym MAIN will help to explain the causes.

"M" stands for Militarism. Every European nation exalted their military. Serving in the nation's army and navy was considered a basic requirement of all citizens.

"A" represent the system of Alliances. France was allied with Russia, Germany with the Austro-Hungarian empire and the Ottoman empire. Great Britain while not a member of any alliance had a policy of seeking to prevent any one nation from dominating Europe.

"I" stands for Imperialism. The belief that a nation had the right to acquire colonies and territories beyond their border. Great Britain was the leader in this regard, having a world-wide empire that included huge swaths of Africa, all of India and colonies in Asia.

"N" stood for Nationalism. The belief that each nation was superior to all others, and that their needs came before that of any other nation..

The assassination in 1914 became a pretext for Word War I. After the Archduke's assassination Austria made demands on Serbia, whereupon Russia declared that it would defend Serbia, which brought Germany into the conflict. It declared that it would stand with Austria-Hungary. Germany's declaration of war against Russia brought France into the conflict because of their alliance with Russia. Great Britain entered the conflict when Germany attacked Belgium in their effort to defeat France before Russia could invade Germany.

These are the basic causes of World War I.