The trigger for the war was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, by Yugoslav nationalist Gavrilo Princip in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914. ... Within weeks the major powers were at war, and the conflict soon spread around the world.
Who was to blame for the First World War? As every schoolboy should know, it was the militant Serbian nationalist who assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the Austro-Hungarian prince whose killing led to his nation's declaration of war on Serbia, which had a domino effect as other countries entering the conflict.Jan 7, 2014