Did Franz Ferdinand's assassins set out to cause WWI?

However, the assassination of Franz Ferdinand was the spark that set WWI into motion. Austria-Hungary started making demands on Serbia. Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany gave Austria-Hungary his support to invade Serbia. read more

The causes of World War I have been debated since it ended. Germany shouldered much of the blame for the conflict, but a series of factors were involved, including the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, rising nationalism and militarism, and competition for natural resources. read more

The young assassin whose shots set off World War I is taken by police to the police station in Sarajevo The first assassination attempt failed due to the quick reaction of the Austrian heir-apparent. Out of the corner of his eye, Franz Ferdinand saw something black flying towards him and raised his hand in a protective gesture, thus knocking the hand grenade out of the car. read more