World War I: Archduke Franz Ferdinard

In WW1, the terrorist attack of a Serbian nationalist caused the ignition of flames that were set across Europe. The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary led to the July Crisis. A crisis in which, Austria sent an Ultimatum to Serbia, with requirement to be followed. Serbia accepted most but not all of Austria’s demands. Serbia’s decline of the Ultimatum led to Austria-Hungary declaring war on the Serbs.

In “The war to end all wars”, Germany also did not take into calculation the ‘Domino Effect’ of the alliances between France, Russia and Britain. Because Germany had made such a bitter enemy of France, it decided to protect itself by making alliances with other countries in Europe. Germany formed an alliance with Austria-Hungary and Italy known as the Triple Alliance. To the keep the ‘Balance of Power’ in Europe, France allied itself with Great Britain and Russia; known as the Triple Entente. Both allies swore to help their allies if their countries were attacked.

Yet not all the powers entered the First World War because of the Alliance System. Britain declared war on Germany because William II insisted on invading France via繞經 Belgium. Not only the Belgian neutrality but the British national security was threatened. Italy did not help Germany in 1914 because she had already reached secret agreements with France in 1900-02. To sum up, the Alliance System complicated the international relations of Europe and added fire to the outbreak of the First World War.

World War I was a reaction to the world experiencing plenty of change in such a small amount of time. Major events have been attributed to the World War I, such as German Unification, Imperialism and The Creation of Peacetime Alliance systems, but the ultimate reason for the war was the assassination of Francis Ferdinand on June 28, 1914. According to notes taken on the Civil war, Francis Ferdinand was heir to the Austria-Hungarian throne, and he was killed by a Serbian nationalist, Gavrilo Princip. After the assassination of Francis Ferdinand, the feud between Siberia and Austria-Hungary grew out of control. The people of Austria-Hungary were upset with the Siberian people after the assassination of Francis Ferdinand.

Austria-Hungary was concerned that this Russian encouragement of nationalism may threaten her borders and inspire nationalism within her own empire. In turn, Germany recognised that as Austria's closest ally her fate was linked with that of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Austria-Hungary was anxious to prevent Russian encroachment in the Balkans. This aim would be best served by the elimination of Serbia, Russia's Balkan ally. In 1878, Russia was humiliated at the Congress of Berlin when her proposal for a Greater Bulgarian state was rejected and Austria-Hungary occupied Bosnia to maintain order amongst the nationalist revolts.

Slavic nationalists in Serbia were in hopes of seceding from the Austro- Hungarian empire. In 1879, the Congress of Berlin placed Bosnia-Herzegovia under Austrian rule, shattering the nationalist's hopes of gaining that territory. Bosnia did not want to be under rule by a multinational state like Austria and the Austrians were not fond about Serbia promoting Slavic nationalism. The Austrian gove... ... middle of paper ... ...9, Appendices 1 and 2, 1914. The Great War Primary Documents Archive, Inc. 1995 Conklin, Dennis.

On June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdenand, of Austria-Hungary, was assassinated by a Serbian group called the Blackhand. Austria-Hungary threatened and declared war on Serbia on July 28, 1914. In return Serbia’s ally, Russia, declared war on Austria-Hungary, and Germany declared war on Russia and Serbia. Eventually France and Great Britain joined by declaring war on Austria-Hungary and Germany. With the Allies being Russia, Serbia, France and Great Britain; and the Central Powers being Austria-Hungary, Germany and the Ottoman Empire, although the smaller countries did not play large roles in the war.

But there were other reasons behind the assassination, which forced Europe into war so suddenly. Britain wanted to ensure Germany didn't dominate Europe with Weltpolitk and also because of Anglo German naval rivalry. Russia wa... ... middle of paper ... ...llies and leave them isolated. This view treats Balkan matters largely as influences on policy elsewhere The tough positions taken by both Austria and Serbia brought the situation too close to the brink to step back, and in a few days matters were out of control. Again, the specific arguments raised by each side matter less than their mutual willingness to take risks.

World War I was resolved to an extent with the Treaty of Versailles, but it was not entirely settled. This is clear because World War II was a result of World War I. The assassination of Franz Ferdinand and his wife was definitely the most significant cause of the calamity that is World War I. Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro- Hungarian throne, was simply visiting Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Unfortunately, a secret Serbian society known as the Black Hand awaited the Archduke’s arrival. This nationalist group targeted Ferdinand due to the feeling amongst Serbians that once appointed to the throne; Ferdinand would uphold the persecution of Serbs inhabiting the borders of the Austro- Hungarian Empire.

The Causes of World War I World War I was the result of certain countries aggression towards others and by the rising nationalism of the European nations. Economic and imperial competition and fear of war triggered military alliances and an arms race, which further escalated the tension contributing to the outbreak of war. At the settlement of the Congress of Vienna in 1815, the idea of nationalism was ignored to preserve the peace. Germany and Italy were divided into states but nationalist changes and revolutions led to the unification of Italy in 1861 and that of Germany in 1871. Another result of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71 was that France was left furious over the loss of Alsace-Lorraine to Germany, and revenge was a goal of the French.