Responsibility Of Archduke's Assassination During World War I

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On June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, and his wife were shot and killed. The attack was perpetrated by a Serbian Nationalist in Sarajevo, Bosnia. The Bosnian student acted alone, but the events sparked debate as to whether the assassinations were a political conspiracy involving the Serbian government. Austria-Hungary’s government regarded the slightest chance of political conspiracy as a reason for action. The assassinations and the response it conjured became the most significant event in the path to the war to end all wars. The Archduke’s assassination was significant because it set off a series of events that ultimately ended in war. Following the assassinations, German Emperor Wilhelm II offered assurance to Austria-Hungary that they could count on Germany’s full support in whatever actions they took. This gesture was known as the “blank check.” With Germany’s backing, Austria-Hungary sent Serbia a set of demands, a few absurd and were designed to be denied. …show more content…

With a provocative and furious undertone, the document went on to request assurance from the Serbian government that they condemned these acts on the front page of Serbia’s “Official Journal.” They also Included the unattainable request “To dissolve immediately the society styled Narodna Odbrana,” (19) a Serbian nationalist

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