how the assassination of one person sparked the start of WW1
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Franz Ferdinand was heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary. He was assassinated in Serbia by nationalists who were angry at Austria-Hungary trying to enforce control of the region.
Then Austria-Hungary wanted to invade Serbia as retaliation and to teach local nationalists a lesson, and Austria-Hungary’s good allies Germany said that they would support them no matter what.
Now France and Russia had an alliance between the two of them and was already on bad footing with Germany and Austria-Hungary. They didn’t want them to expand their power or influence because they felt threatened by them. So they went to war to stop them invading Serbia.
Now at some point Germany went through Belgium to get at France (to get around their heavy fortifications).
Britain had promised Belgium to protect them to not allow this small country to be bullied by the larger powers (and didn’t want the larger powers to grow more powerful by taking over Belgium). So at this point Britain joined the war against Germany.
Essentially all the small events used as the cause for war were largely just excuses. The “great powers” of Europe all had this complicated network of rivalries and alliances. They made promises to their allies to get involved if needed and they were afraid of their rivals growing stronger by making power-grabs. Also everyone was kind of itching for a fight looking for a chance to increase their own power. No-one had yet quite realized just how terribly destructive war would be with the new technologies. Previous wars didn’t turn out like this traumatizing, futile meatgrinder of death that the trench warfare in WWI did. War had meant a chance for honour and glory and as such it was easier to want a war given half an excuse.
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