Root Causes Of World War One

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World War One was a devastating event, leading to the loss of many lives. Countless people considered this to be “the war to end all wars.” Though many circumstances directly caused the start of the Great War, the actual root causes are much deeper. These causes include Nationalism and Alliances in and between European countries. Because of these underlying problems, the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand was then the final straw in the lead up to World War one. In Serbia on June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, was assassinated by Gavrilo Princip. Ferdinand’s wife, Sophie, was also shot, and the two died together on what was, unknown to Princip, their wedding anniversary. Bosnia was, at the time,