Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary

Definition

Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. His assassination in Sarajevo in 1914 by Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb nationalist, sparked World War I due to complex system of alliances among nations.

Analogy

Imagine if your school's star quarterback was suddenly expelled because of something another student did. The resulting anger and confusion could lead to major conflicts within the school community. That's similar to how the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand led to World War I.

Related terms

Assassination: The act of killing someone, usually a prominent figure, for political or religious reasons.

Trigger Event: An incident that directly instigates an escalation in tensions leading to conflict or war.

Austro-Hungarian Empire: A dual monarchy in Central Europe from 1867-1918 which was dissolved at the end of World War I.