CRISIS IN THE BALKANS What is the spark that starts WWI ?

Powder Keg of Europe Austria-Hungary controlled the north & the Ottomans controlled the rest By the early 1900s, the Ottoman Empire was in rapid decline Many different ethnic groups in the Balkans started Nationalist revolutions to gain independence. It was the powder-keg of Europe By 1910, Greece, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Romania, and Serbia had all been successful in Nationalistic Revolutions against the Ottomans Austria-Hungary controlled the north & the Ottomans controlled the rest By the early 1900s, the Ottoman Empire was in rapid decline Many different ethnic groups in the Balkans started Nationalist revolutions to gain independence. It was the powder-keg of Europe By 1910, Greece, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Romania, and Serbia had all been successful in Nationalistic Revolutions against the Ottomans Serbia, which had a large Slavic population wanted to unite all of the Slavic people on the Balkan Peninsula Russia, who was also a Slavic country supported Serbian Nationalism Out of fear they would lose territory, Austria-Hungary opposed Serbia The Balkans region of Southern Europe had been controlled by two empires

In 1908, Austria-Hungary annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina, to prevent this area from joining with Serbia The Serbs vowed to take these areas away from Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary vowed to crush any Serbian effort to take away its territories In June of 1914, the Austrian Archduke, a Hapsburg family member & future Emperor, visited Austria-Hungary’s new territory in Bosnia In 1908, Austria-Hungary annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina, to prevent this area from joining with Serbia The Serbs vowed to take these areas away from Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary vowed to crush any Serbian effort to take away its territories In June of 1914, the Austrian Archduke, a Hapsburg family member & future Emperor, visited Austria-Hungary’s new territory in Bosnia On June 28 th, 1914 Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sofia were assassinated in the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo They were killed by a Serbian Nationalist named Gavrilo Princip. Princip was a member of an underground Serbia Nationalist group known as Black Hand

Because the assassin was Serbian, Austria-Hungary wanted to punish Serbia Austria-Hungary presented a list of demands to Serbia, Serbia agrees to most However, Austria-Hungary was in no mood to negotiate and declared war Russia who was an ally of Serbia orders their troops to the Austrian border Britain, Italy, and Germany all asked Austria-Hungary & Russia to negotiate However, it would be too late. Because of the alliance treaties that they all signed most of Europe would be dragged into the Great War! Because the assassin was Serbian, Austria-Hungary wanted to punish Serbia Austria-Hungary presented a list of demands to Serbia, Serbia agrees to most However, Austria-Hungary was in no mood to negotiate and declared war Russia who was an ally of Serbia orders their troops to the Austrian border Britain, Italy, and Germany all asked Austria-Hungary & Russia to negotiate However, it would be too late. Because of the alliance treaties that they all signed most of Europe would be dragged into the Great War! WANTED