The assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary by a Serbian nationalist in June 1914 set off a chain of events that ultimately led to the outbreak of World War I, effectively ending the relatively fragile peace in Europe at the time. Here’s how the timeline unfolded based on your statements:
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Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, causing Russia to help Serbia.
- After the assassination, Austria-Hungary issued an ultimatum to Serbia with demands that were intentionally stringent. When Serbia's responses did not satisfy Austria-Hungary, it declared war on Serbia on July 28, 1914. Russia, which had close ties to Serbia and saw itself as the protector of Slavic nations, mobilized its forces in defense of Serbia.
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Russia declared war on Germany, causing Serbia to help Russia.
- Germany, allied with Austria-Hungary, viewed Russia’s mobilization as a declaration of war and, in turn, declared war on Russia on August 1, 1914. This escalated the conflict, drawing in more nations due to a complex web of alliances.
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Germany declared war on Russia after France declared war on Germany.
- Following the escalation with Russia, Germany anticipated that France would support Russia and declared war on France on August 3, 1914 as part of its military strategy.
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Great Britain declared war on Germany after Germany invaded France.
- Germany's implementation of the Schlieffen Plan, which involved invading Belgium to quickly defeat France, brought Great Britain into the war on August 4, 1914. Britain had treaty obligations to defend Belgium’s neutrality.
Thus, the assassination was the spark that ignited a series of political and military alliances that rapidly escalated into a full-scale war involving multiple nations, leading to the breakdown of peace in Europe and the beginning of one of the deadliest conflicts in history.