CLEP US History II

Answer: A - The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary on June 28, 1914, was one of the leading causes of World War I (though the political climate throughout Europe in the preceding years was a significant factor). Franz Ferdinand was the heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne when he and his wife were murdered in Sarajevo by Gavrilo Princip, a Serbian member of the Black Hand terrorist cell. Princip was working with other terrorists in the attack, but he fired the shots that killed the Archduke and Duchess Sophie while they were riding in a car. The terrorists had unsuccessfully attempted to bomb the motorcade earlier the same day. The assassination compelled a war between Austria-Hungary and Serbia. Germany was prompted to join their ally Austria-Hungary, which subsequently compelled the mobilization of France and Russia, who were adversaries of the aforementioned alliance.