ID: Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand (Start of WWI)
When: June 28, 1914
Who:
Archduke Franz Ferdinand: Heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne.
Gavrilo Princip: A member of the Black Hand, a Serbian nationalist group.
What: Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, were assassinated in Sarajevo, Bosnia (then part of Austria-Hungary) by Gavrilo Princip. This act of political terrorism triggered a chain of events that led to the outbreak of World War I.
Impact: Why Significant?:
Spark of WWI: The assassination served as the immediate catalyst for the outbreak of World War I. Austria-Hungary, blaming Serbia, issued an ultimatum that Serbia could not reasonably accept, leading to Austria-Hungary declaring war on Serbia.
Alliance System: The complex system of alliances between European powers (the Triple Entente – Britain, France, Russia; and the Triple Alliance – Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy) drew nations into the conflict, escalating a localized crisis into a global war.
Shift in Global Power: WWI dramatically reshaped the global political landscape, leading to the collapse of empires (Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman, Russian, German) and the rise of new nations. The war also spurred significant social and political changes, including women’s suffrage movements and advancements in technology.
US Entry into WWI: While not directly causing US entry, the war’s escalation and the unrestricted submarine warfare conducted by Germany ultimately led the United States to declare war on Germany in 1917.
Long-Term Consequences: The war’s devastating impact on Europe contributed to the rise of fascism and Nazism and set the stage for World War II. The 2425/apush/ids/u6/Treaty of Versailles, designed to prevent future conflicts, instead sowed the seeds of resentment and instability, ultimately failing to achieve its goals.