Explain how the Archduke's assassination is a catalyst for the war.?

Answer 1

It's really kind of complicated. I guess you have to understand that tensions between Serbia and the Austro-Hungarian Empire were pretty high. I think Serbia wanted to unite the Slavic people into one nation. Problem was, Austria-Hungary had control of Bosnia-Herzegovina, an ethnically Slavic region. Also, Russia is involved because Russians are Slavic, too, so they felt they had some say in the region. Anyway, the Austrians thought Serbia was involved in the assassination, so they felt the need to go to war with Serbia and stop her interference, and what could have been a regional war blows up into the Great War.

I think you would be best served by reading the link in the sources area. It gives a pretty good overview of events & why things happened. It really is complicated if you look at the history. I'm in an origins of WW I class now & the way the European powers of the day kept the "balance of power" can be confusing sometimes. I certainly can't explain it here.

Answer 2

At the turn of the 20th century, Germany was an emergent world power having proven her military superiority to all her neighbours over the previous thirty years. She was an advanced industrial nation with an economy growing faster than that of Great Britain. To sustain this growth, she needed an empire but was a late comer in the colonial stakes. The only way she was ever going to secure overseas territory was to take it from someone else. It would have been an object lesson to her when she watched the United States (a third rate power at that time) strip Spain of her territories and influence in 1899.

The only thing stopping Germany from going to war in 1900 was the presence of the Royal Navy which would have made it impossible for Germany to benefit from any territorial gains without Britain actually having to go to war - simple heavy-handedness (for which the Royal Navy was already famous) would have done the trick.

In 1905, the Royal Navy changed the balance of power by launching HMS Dreadnought; a type of warship that was twice as powerfull as any other afloat. This ship rendered all others obsolete, including those of the Royal Navy and thus pulled everybody back to the same starting point in the naval power stakes.

The Admiralty were not stupid, however, and in 1904, they conducted an assessment of the relative ship building capacities of Britain and Germany to satisfy themselves that they could maintain a numerical advantage over Germany who was seen as the main threat at that time. They calculated that the best time for Germany to make a move against the Royal Navy (ie when the numerical disadvantage was at its least) would be in the autumn of 1914.

The outbreak of World War One was therefore predictable ten years before it happened and it would occur because Germany willed it. It therefore had nothing to do with an arms race, railway timetables (vide AJP Taylor) or the assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand. Any spark would have done the trick and wars have started over less. The assassination was therefore not so much a catalyst as an excuse.

Answer 3

It was primarily the pretext for the war which most of the 'Great Powers' in Europe had been anticipating for at least a decade. If you read such books as Robert K Massie's 'Dreadnought' and Barbara Tuchmann's 'August 1914', you will see that the Austrian, German and Russian Governments (and primarily their Foreign Ministries) not only anticipated but actually welcomed the outbreak of a general war in Europe. The reasons for this were many and varied, but boiled down to insecurity and envy on all sides. Because of the interlocking network of military and diplomatic alliances in Europe at that time, a single event, such as the assassination in Sarajevo, assumed a disproportionate influence. In summary, after the Archduke was killed, the Austrians, encouraged by Germany, made a series of unacceptable demands on Serbia. Serbia then looked to Russia for assistance. Austria in turn looked to Germany for assistance in the event of a war with Serbia and Russia. Russia looked to France for assistance in the event of a war with Germany and Austria. And Britain got involved through its alliance with France.

From small acorns, mighty oaks may grow. Similarly, small or seemingly insignificant events can have incalculable consequences. Although by 1914 it was actually quite clear that war was, if not inevitable, then quite likely.

Answer 4

The Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated by a Serbian nationalist. When Austria then declared war on Serbia, it was supported by Germany, because there was a pact between them that if either nation was attacked, they would support each other. Unfortunately, these pacts littered Europe, and by the time all was said and done, all of Europe was ablaze.

Answer 5

The archduke was assassinated by Osama Bin Ladin working for the US Government. World War I is George W. Bush's fault because his grandfather had dealings with the Nazis in World War II.

have a nice day.

Answer 6

Basically, it was a Russian conspiracy. The Russians were determined to extend their own empire and also to set up a series of client states in Eastern Europe (a philosophy known at the time as 'Pan Slavism.' A Serbian secret society known as the Black Hand, acting in concert with the Russians, carried out the assassination. Because of the Russian alliance with the Serbs, when the Austrians wanted to punish the Serbians for their collusion with the murder, the Serbs refused. The Kaiser tried frantically to drag the Austrians back from the precipice but they dug in their heels. Because Austria and Germany were allies, they had to support them even when they knew they were wrong. The Russians encouraged the Serbs to resist and millions died as a result of Russian and Austrian stupidity.

Answer 7

The Archduke was gunned down by foreign Serbians and that normally might have been a justification for a small local war or extradition of the conspiritors, but the pledged alliances drew in other countries like a neighborhood gang fight, and so it was.

Answer 8

This reads like a homework assignment.

Have you researched this online yet? You can find a lot!
Try "Googling" something World War I+ Causes
Or Archduke Ferdinand assassination.

Or, read your history book!

Answer 9

I would agree with the whole do your own homework thing because I had to do all of this for a-level history!

Its all about treaties and the Balkans. My teacher used to make us laugh with the 'deacayed bee' (DKB Drei Kaiser Bund)treaty and big bulgaria. Half the countries were on one side, half were on the other and being men they all said they would fight if someone upset one of the countries in their gang, when it came to it and someone did (i.e. shot the bloke) they couldnt back down.
There are other reasons too of course

Answer 10

It was basically down to the alliances that different countries made eg 'If you go to war, then we'll join you.' All well and good in principle but if lots of different countries have different alliances !

The Serbs got blamed for the assignation and it escalated from there.