World War I 1914: Assassination, Alliances, and Reactions
The Twentieth Century
The First World War
The First World War began in 1914 with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo. He was an Austro-Hungarian noble and the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne.
His assassin was a Serbian nationalist; it was a terrorist act.
The underlying question concerned territory. In the 19th century the Ottoman Empire (Turkey) had lost lands; the Austro-Hungarians had annexed some of those territories, and Serbia believed those lands should belong to Serbia rather than to Austria-Hungary. The assassin was a nationalist who believed Serbia should be larger and should possess those lands.
Public Reactions: Shock and Joy
When war was declared, two immediate public reactions emerged:
- Shock
- Extreme joy or enthusiasm
Below are the reasons for these responses.
Shock
After the assassination, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. Once that happened, another power entered the conflict: Russia. For historical and cultural reasons, Russia stood by Serbia.
When Russia signaled it was prepared to go to war, Germany came into the picture in support of Austria-Hungary.
When Germany became involved, Britain moved into the conflict in favor of Serbia (and France). Britain feared Germany's growing strength, especially its navy, and there were mutual-aid agreements with France. When German forces entered French territory, Britain felt obliged to help.
This rapid escalation occurred within a month, which shocked many people; few in Britain expected war to unfold so quickly.
Alliances at the Outset
- Austria-Hungary: Germany
- Serbia: Russia, France, Britain
Joy and National Enthusiasm
Some of the enthusiasm for war related to Social Darwinism. Nations had internalized Darwinian ideas and adapted them to society: "life is a struggle, and in this struggle only the strong survive." Many people therefore saw war as a natural process and believed their nations were doing the right thing.
The development of the war surprised everyone—not only because of the number of casualties but also because of the methods of killing. It became a mechanized, scientific, industrial war: machines were adapted for killing.
All of this reflected deep international tensions. Although pacifists existed and two peace conferences were held at The Hague, they proved ineffective; few believed in lasting peace.