Immediate Causes of WWI
The July Crisis is the most prominent immediate cause of World War I. Serbia played a crucial role in the July Crisis, as did many other countries in Europe. The political climate surrounding Europe in early 1914 was tense, to say the least. Germany and Russia were not getting along favorably, although Anglo-German relations were improving slightly. Many alliances and discords existed between countries, and the atmosphere was delicate. The event that pushed the belligerent nations over the edge was the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, an Austrian archduke, by Serbian nationalists. These extremists were supported by a Serbian terrorist group called the Black Hand, which had ties to the Serbian government but was not endorsed or sanctioned by it. In fact, the day after the murder, the Serbian government denounced the Black Hand and closed all public meeting places of the group. However, Austria-Hungary blamed the assassination on the Serbian government and felt compelled to act in retaliation in order to reaffirm their power and discourage further acts against the crown. Germany had also promised its support of Austria-Hungary, regardless of their decision whether to go to war or not. Nearly a month after the assassination, Austria gave Serbia a harsh ultimatum, so harsh, in fact, that it was bound to be rejected. Serbia appealed to Russia for help, and when Russia mobilized its troops Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, leading Germany to declare war on Russia. World War I had begun (The July Crisis and the Death of Ferdinand and the Outbreak of War).