World War I Begins: Austria-Hungary Invades Serbia
Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand Triggers Outbreak of War
Germany's Role and the Hapsburg Empire
On July 28, 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, marking the outbreak of World War I. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip on June 28, 1914, had brought tensions between the two nations to a boiling point.
Germany, a relatively young nation-state, was eager to assert its status as a political and economic power. It aligned itself with Austria-Hungary and provided support for its invasion of Serbia. Austria-Hungary, known as the Dual Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy that included territories in Central and Eastern Europe.
The conflict quickly escalated as other European powers became involved, leading to a global war with devastating consequences. World War I lasted for four years and claimed millions of lives before ending in 1918 with the Allied Powers emerging victorious.
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