jul 14, 1914 - WWI Begins

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Historians usually site 4 main causes of the US entry into WWI, nationalism, imperialism, militarism, and alliances. But, the war began before the US joined it in April of 1917. The spark that started the war was the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, the heir to the Austrian throne. He was killed by a Serbian nationalist group which consequently caused Austria-Hungary to declare war on Serbia in what was believed to be a short lived war. But, the system of alliances that was in placed pulled country after country into the war, as Germany came in to protect Austria-Hungary and declared war on Russia and then France. At which point Britain joined the war in defense of their allies. Thus began the great war.

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