What event sparked the First World War?
After the murder of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand by a pro-Serbian terrorist on June 28, 1914, fears and friendships among the nations of Europe caused them to fall like dominoes to the hand of the war. The Austrian government, assuming that the Serbian government was at least passively responsible for the assassination, issued an incredible ultimatum on July 23. Austria demanded that Serbia submit to its rule until Serbia was purged of anti-Austrian sentiments. Surprisingly, Serbia replied that it was willing to accept most of Austria’s demands. Austria was not satisfied, however, and declared war on Serbia on July 28.
