The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand is commonly linked to the start of which war?

• A. World War I
• B. World War II
• C. American Civil War
• D. Napoleonic Wars

Answer: (A)

A single act in 1914 sparked a global conflict because countries were tied to each other through alliances and a growing culture of militarism. When Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated, Austria-Hungary moved to punish Serbia. Because many nations had pledged support to their allies, the crisis pulled in Germany, Russia, France, Britain, and others. The chain of mobilizations and declarations turned a regional dispute into World War I.

The other wars happened in different eras for different reasons, so they aren’t tied to this event. World War II followed decades later, the American Civil War occurred in the 1860s, and the Napoleonic Wars were early 1800s.