Origins of World War I

Origins of World War I
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Origins of World War I
The First World War origins or triggers are complex since most historians agree that circumstantial, political, and economic factors contributed to the war’s onset. World War I started in 1914, soon after Franz Ferdinand, Austria’s Archduke, got assassinated. The battle lasted almost half a decade because it ended in 1918. Gavrilo Princip killed the Archduke. The victim was selected as a target since he was a potential successor in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. On the assassination day, Ferdinand was traveling to Sarajevo to check the imperial armed militaries in Bosnia and Herzegovina. These were previous Ottoman Bosnia and Herzegovina that Austria-Hungary had obtained in the 20th century. Princip easily shot Ferdinand because he was driving in an open vehicle. The perpetrator shot and killed the Archduke and his wife. The war contributed to over 20 million soldier deaths, while other millions of individuals also sustained severe injuries. This is due to the several nations actively participating in the war and the trench warfare (The Great War, 2014). For historians, acknowledging grounds for the war is equally as critical as noticing the battle’s significant effects.
Despite the shooting of Archduke Ferdinand being the main causal event resulting in the war’s declaration, many other aspects also played a vital role in stimulating the First World War. There was also a political factor coming into play. According to Berghahm (2006), Serbia rejected an ultimatum from Austria and Hungary after the killing. This made the latter pronounce war against Serbia, heavily supported by German. However, Russia supported Serbia, triggering World War I (WWI). Germany announced war when Russia started mobilizing due to its coal...