The First World War, often called "The Great War," started because of many reasons. But, some main events helped turn a local problem into a big fight between many countries. The biggest event that set everything off was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary in June 1914.
On June 28, 1914, in Sarajevo, Bosnia, Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, were killed by a Bosnian Serb named Gavrilo Princip. This was not just a shocking death; it showed the growing tensions in the Balkans. At that time, many ethnic groups wanted their independence, especially the Slavs in the Balkans, who wanted to unite against the rule of Austria-Hungary.
On July 23, 1914, Austria-Hungary sent Serbia an ultimatum. This was a list of strict demands meant to push Serbia into a conflict that Austria-Hungary thought they could win. Here are some of the key points of the ultimatum:
Serbia wanted to avoid war, so they agreed to most of the demands but not all. Austria-Hungary was not happy with this response and declared war on Serbia on July 28, 1914.
After the war was declared, a quick series of events pulled in the major countries of Europe. This showed how many alliances had been made over the years.
Russia's Action: Serbia had the support of Russia, which began to move its army to help Serbia. Russia wanted to protect Slavic nations.
Germany Gets Involved: Austria-Hungary had the support of Germany, which had promised to help them. On August 1, 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war on Russia.
France and Britain Join: When Germany attacked Belgium to get to France on August 3, Britain declared war on Germany on August 4 because they were angry about the invasion.
To sum up the main events that started the First World War:
In just a few weeks, a local tragedy turned into a fight that involved many nations and changed the world for many years. The assassination was the spark, but it was the tangled alliances and existing tensions that fueled the fire of war.
The First World War, often called "The Great War," started because of many reasons. But, some main events helped turn a local problem into a big fight between many countries. The biggest event that set everything off was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary in June 1914.
On June 28, 1914, in Sarajevo, Bosnia, Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, were killed by a Bosnian Serb named Gavrilo Princip. This was not just a shocking death; it showed the growing tensions in the Balkans. At that time, many ethnic groups wanted their independence, especially the Slavs in the Balkans, who wanted to unite against the rule of Austria-Hungary.
On July 23, 1914, Austria-Hungary sent Serbia an ultimatum. This was a list of strict demands meant to push Serbia into a conflict that Austria-Hungary thought they could win. Here are some of the key points of the ultimatum:
Serbia wanted to avoid war, so they agreed to most of the demands but not all. Austria-Hungary was not happy with this response and declared war on Serbia on July 28, 1914.
After the war was declared, a quick series of events pulled in the major countries of Europe. This showed how many alliances had been made over the years.
Russia's Action: Serbia had the support of Russia, which began to move its army to help Serbia. Russia wanted to protect Slavic nations.
Germany Gets Involved: Austria-Hungary had the support of Germany, which had promised to help them. On August 1, 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war on Russia.
France and Britain Join: When Germany attacked Belgium to get to France on August 3, Britain declared war on Germany on August 4 because they were angry about the invasion.
To sum up the main events that started the First World War:
In just a few weeks, a local tragedy turned into a fight that involved many nations and changed the world for many years. The assassination was the spark, but it was the tangled alliances and existing tensions that fueled the fire of war.