Which of these was the MOST direct cause of World War I?

Answer 1

The most direct cause of World War I was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary on June 28, 1914. His assassination by Gavrilo Princip, a member of the nationalist group known as the Black Hand, set off a chain reaction of events that led to the outbreak of the war. This event escalated existing tensions between the major European powers, which were already influenced by a complex web of alliances, militarism, imperialism, and nationalism. The assassination led Austria-Hungary to issue an ultimatum to Serbia, which ultimately triggered the conflict as alliances were activated, leading to a full-scale war.