World War 1
Until the early 20th century, most of the power of European countries was held by royal dynasties. Big countries like Britain, Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Russia even had colonies. They wanted to keep their empire strong and saw other countries taking over new territories as a threat. Therefore, each country establishes diplomatic relations and alliances to maintain the stability of the country. Assassination of Prince Franz Ferdinand (1914) Prince Franz Ferdinand was the crown prince of the kingdom of Austria-Hungary at the time. Thus, his figure was considered a threat to the Serbian revolutionary group whose territory was part of Austria-Hungary. On June 28, 1914, the prince and his wife Sophie undertook an inspection of the imperial troops stationed in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He and Sophie were shot dead in their car by a 19-year-old Serbian revolutionary, Gavrilo Princip. This tragedy caused a crisis of political power in Europe, especially for Austria-Hungary and Russia wh...