Final answer:
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of the Austro-Hungarian Empire by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip in 1914 was the catalyst for World War I, bringing into play a complex alliance system among European powers.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Habsburg throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, on June 28, 1914, by Gavrilo Princip, a Serbian nationalist, set into motion a series of events that culminated in the outbreak of World War I. The Archduke was seen as a potentially moderating force, favoring diplomacy over military action, which makes his assassination even more tragically ironic.
Following his and his wife's death, the Austro-Hungarian Empire sought to hold Serbia accountable, leading to demands that Serbia rejected. This rejection prompted Austro-Hungary, backed by Germany, to declare war on Serbia, invoking a complex web of European alliances that saw Russia, France, Great Britain, and eventually other nations enter the conflict.
Among those linked to the assassination was The Black Hand, a terror group with ties to the Serbian military that trained a group of ethnic Serb college students for the task. After a series of failed attempts on the day, fate brought Princip in front of the Archduke's vehicle, enabling him to commit the assassination. The aftermath saw an activation of the alliance system in Europe, with powers such as Germany, Russia, and France being drawn into the war due to mutual defense treaties. The assassination was the spark in a powder keg of long-standing rivalries and alliances that engulfed Europe and the world in warfare.