Why was the cause of the first world war Archduke Franz Ferdinand ?

Question: Why was the cause of the first world war Archduke Franz Ferdinand !?

something to do with the serbs and the black hand !?Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary was hated by the Serbian terrorist/rebel group know as "The Black Hand!." Austria-Hungary and Serbia were already on edge against each other because of differing alliances with other European nations!. When the Black Hand member, a Serbian, assassinated the heir to the Austria-Hungarian empire, A!. Hungary decided to attack Serbia after a issuing an ultimatum, which was refused!. Because each country had several aligned nations backing them, all of Europe was pulled in by a domino effect!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

There were a number of reasons behind WWI, dating back to the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 where the agressors, France, were soundly beaten by the Prussians and lost the profitable coal and steel region of Alsace-Lorraine which left them spoiling for another fight!.

The victory of Prussia led to the unification of other northern european states and principalities (of which Prussia was the largest) and created Germany!. The chancellor of this new country, Otto von Bismarck, formed an alliance with it's neighbour Austro-Hungary which made the French extremely nervous!. Therefore to counteract it, the French made a treaty with Russia and thus surrounded the central powers!. Another alliance with Russia was made by Serbia who was not happy with Austro-Hungary's influence on it and the surrounding Balkan states!.

The French were desperate to draw into this tangle of treaties the one major power of the age, Great Britain!. Britain, however, preferred to stay in "splendid isolation" but it did offer the French a loosely worded statement that it would be "morally obliged" to support them if they were attacked!. The only real treaty it had was with Belgium whereby Britain had guaranteed Belgium's neutrality for the past 75 years!.
It was only when Germany began to try and expand it's Empire that Britain began to take notice!. It also began to build German versions of the Royal Navy "Dreadnoughts" and any threat to the RN was not to be stomached!.

Then on June 28th 1914, the heir to the Austrian throne Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo by Gavrilo Principe, a member of the Black Hand Group a Serbian nationlist movement and the fuse was lit!.

Austro-Hungary gave Serbia an ultimatum to hand over all conspiritors believing the Serbian government was behind the plot and thus being able to finally stamp it's authority on Serbia!. A-H called on Germany's support if the Russians got involved and Germany readily agreed!. The Serbs called on their treaty with Russia and Russia began to mobilise against A-H and Germany and consequently France found itself at war with them too as directed by their alliance with Russia!.
In an effort to knock France out of the war early so not to be fighting on 2 fronts, Germany tried to advance on Paris quickly, avoiding the French defences by invading Belgium!.
Because of this violation of neutrality this brought Britain into the conflict along with a number of it's colonies including Australia, New Zealand, Canada and India!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

The assassination wasn't the cause of the war; it was merely the trigger that started it!. Austria-Hungary was looking for a pretext to invade Serbia, partly because ethnic Serbs were coming over the border and causing havoc in Serbian parts of Austria-Hungary!. The system of alliances throughout Europe caused what would otherwise have been a small war (and an uneven fight) to escalate into something that directly affected a whole continent!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Ferdinand was the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary controlled the a lot of the Balkins(former Ottoman Empire)
Austria-Hungary annexed many of the Slavic speaking states into their empire, but all of the states wanted to be an indepedent state by themselves
The black hand was a terrorist group in Serbia, they fought for independence
Ferdinad was visiting Serbia when Gavrilo Prencipe shot him and his wife, Gavrilo was a member of the black hand, he was 19
So when the next leader of their country was killed, A-H wanted revenge

*Fun fact-Ferdinad survived an earlier attempt at assasinating him and still traveled in the parade in which he was shotWww@QuestionHome@Com

Between the years of 1900 and 1914, an arms race was taking place all over Europe!. Countries were competing with each other to be the dominant power in Europe!.
Each countries arsenal was acting as a deterrent to other countries arsenals!. Add to this volatile cocktail a mixture of complicated international treaties and Europe was teetering on the edge of war!.
Governments sabre rattled with other Governments, until these threats were begun to be taken seriously!. There was a full u-turn and threats were changed into diplomacy!. But it was all too little too late, Europe was on the edge of the abyss and diplomacy was failing!.
Soon it began to be too much trouble NOT to have a war!. It was viewed that Europe was a boiling pot of liquid with the lid sealed on!. A war would be short, sharp and over by Christmas and the pressure would be off!.
So a trigger had to be found!. Europe was being strangled by treaties that were supposed to relax international diplomatic relations!.
Gavrilo Princip pulled the trigger on Archduke Ferdinand and Austria wanted revenge on the Serbs!. They turned to their ally Germany and Germany declared war by invading Neutral Belgium!. Britain was safeguarding Belgium's neutrality and so entered the war immediately with her allies Russia and France!. The rest is history!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Someone shot him although i can't remember who !.
It might have been the tsar of Germany he had a hand in the first World war cos Queen Victoria sent him a letter stating that "We are not amused"!. So now you know where that phrase come from!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

The fact that somebody shot him may have had something to do with itWww@QuestionHome@Com