Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
How the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand sparked World War I

How the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand sparked World War I

Learn about how the shooting of an archduke helped spark World War I.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
  • © Civil War Trust (A Britannica Publishing Partner)
    Learn how the American Revolution and the War of 1812 fit into broader global conflicts involving Great Britain and France.
    Uncover how the new United States fought with the British over naval impressment and their history of conflict
    Uncover how the new United States fought with the British over naval impressment and their history of conflict
  • Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz; Thumbnail Prints and Photographs Division/Library of Congress, Washington D.C.; Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
    Overview of the start of World War I, including details of the June 28, 1914, assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
    Causes and start of World War I
    Causes and start of World War I
  • Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
    Learn more about the impact of World War II on China's history.
    How did World War II affect China?
    How did World War II affect China?
  • Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
    “Qu'ils mangent de la brioche.”
    Did Marie-Antoinette Say “Let Them Eat Cake”?
    Portrait of Marie-Antoinette.
Related Articles: history of Serbia

Transcript

NARRATOR: World War I began after Archduke Francis Ferdinand was shot. The archduke was the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne. The killer, Gavrilo Princip, was a member of a secret Serbian society that wanted to destroy the Austro-Hungarian Empire. After the assassination, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. The war grew as other European countries took sides.