The assassination of_________led to the outbreak of World War 1?

Answer 1

Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary

Answer 2

Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary.

Answer 3

Archduke Ferdinand in Sarajevo

Answer 4

Archduke Franz Ferdinand did lead to the outbreak but it wasn't the sole cause of WWI.

Answer 5

The assassaination of Austria-Hungary's Archduke Franz Ferdinand was mearly one element in the long series of events that resulted in the outbreak of hostilities that became The First World War.

Alliances made between France,Britain,And Russia,better known as the "Triple Entente", made Germany feel as if it was "surrounded by enemies"

Austria-Hungary and Serbia had a strained relationship that came to a boiling point when "The Black Hand"a secret Serbian nationalist society,plotted and carried out the assassination of the archduke.

Austria-Hungary reacted by imposing an ultimatum on Serbia that the assassins be brought to justice and effectively nullified Serbian sovereignty,in the hopes that Serbia would refuse and give Austria-Hungary reason to go to war .However,Serbia did conform to Austria-Hungary's demand.

Austria-Hungary still unsatisfied,as it's true goal with the harsh ultimatum was to provoke a war with Serbia,was left chomping at the bit.

With the knowledge of the alliance between Serbia and Russia,Austria-Hungary sought and alliance with Germany who was more than willing to ally with Austria-Hungary and even encourage it's warlike posturing.

Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany was counting on his relationship with his cousin,the Tsar Nicholas of Russia,to keep Russia from entering the conflict.

This was a huge gamble on Germany's part,as they severely underestimated the ties between Serbia and Russia.

On the 28th of July,1914 Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia.

In a futile attempt at diplomacy,a series of telegrams between Tsar Nicholas and Kaiser Wilhem known as "The Willy/Nicky Telegrams",were exchanged between July 29th and August 1st 1914.

Russia,bound by treaty to Serbia, announced mobilisation of its vast army in her defence, a slow process that would take around six weeks to complete.

Germany, allied to Austria-Hungary by treaty, viewed the Russian mobilisation as an act of war against Austria-Hungary, and after scant warning declared war on Russia on 1 August.

Germany,wishing to avoid a war on two fronts quickly declared war on France,hoping to score a quick and decisive victory and knock France out of the equasion before Russia could fully mobilise,therefore avoiding a two front war.

France, bound by treaty to Russia, found itself at war against Germany and, by extension, Austria-Hungary following a German declaration of war against France on 3 August. Germany was swift in invading neutral Belgium so as to reach Paris by the shortest possible route.

Britain, allied to France by a more loosely worded treaty which placed a "moral obligation" upon her to defend France, declared war against Germany on 4 August. Her reason for entering the conflict lay in another direction: she was obligated to defend neutral Belgium by the terms of a 75-year old treaty.

With Germany's invasion of Belgium on 4 August, and the Belgian King's appeal to Britain for assistance, Britain committed herself to Belgium's defence later that day. Like France, she was by extension also at war with Austria-Hungary.

With Britain's entry into the war, her colonies and dominions abroad variously offered military and financial assistance, and included Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand and the Union of South Africa.


United States President Woodrow Wilson declared a U.S. policy of absolute neutrality, an official stance that would last until 1917 when Germany's policy of unrestricted submarine warfare - which seriously threatened America's commercial shipping (which was in any event almost entirely directed towards the Allies led by Britain and France) - forced the U.S. to finally enter the war on 6 April 1917.

So when viewed in this context,the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand was mearly the spark that ingnited the powderkeg that had been primed to become the first ever global conflict.

This series of events is only the scenario that took place immediately before The Great War,it's true origins began decades before.

Answer 6

John F. Kennedy

Answer 7

Uncle Thadd is correct, give him his points :)