Question

In response to Serbia pointing out that he can't afford a whole suit but offers to pay for Austria's dry-cleaning:

a. Serbia agrees to all terms of Austria's ultimatum
b. Serbia can't afford a whole suit but offers to pay for Austria's dry-cleaning
c. Serbia rejects Austria's ultimatum entirely
d. Serbia proposes an alternative ultimatum to Austria

Answer 1

Austria-Hungary's ultimatum to Serbia, backed by Germany's 'blank check', led to the latter's declaration of war, starting the chain of events that triggered World War I.

Step-by-step explanation:

The historical context in question here involves the lead-up to World War I, specifically dealing with the tensions between Serbia and Austria-Hungary. Austria-Hungary issued an ultimatum to Serbia after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, demanding certain actions, which included an investigation into the assassination with Austrian participation on Serbian soil.

Serbian leaders, however, found it unacceptable to allow such a violation of their national sovereignty despite being open to conceding to almost all other Austrian demands. Germany's unwavering support for Austria-Hungary, often referred to as giving a 'blank check', ultimately emboldened Austria-Hungary to declare war on Serbia.