The assassination of Archduke Frances Ferdinand, who was the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, was probably the last step on the long road to war. A Serbian patriot murdered Ferdinand in Sarajevo, on June 28 1914. The murder angered Austria-Hungary, leading them to declare war on Serbia. At the same time, Russia gets ready to attack Austria-Hungary as it mobilizes it army at the border. In Europe, there were two powers. The Allied Power were England, France, Russia, and later the U.S. The Central Power was the countries of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey, and Bulgaria. When Kaiser William II of Germany became cocky and let the treaty between Germany and Russia became invalid, and then Williams declared war unto Russia. France then gets ready to fight Germany as they declare war on them by marching through neutral Belgium. As Germany declares war unto France and Russia, Great Britain declares war on Germany as they go through Belgium.
Basic causes included imperialism. Imperialism is a country wanting to take over the world and be the most powerful. The need for raw materials and new markets Europe starts to take over land in Africa, China, India, and Middle East. The fight for obtaining the most land results in European countries fighting over who gets what land. Another factor was nationalism. Nationalism is the love for ones country and feeling your part of the country. It results in each country claiming that they are the best. The Arms Race is another contributing factor to the