Interesting fact: Europe in the early 20th century was a continent simmering with political rivalries, imperial ambitions, and a complex web of military alliances. A single, dramatic event in the summer of 1914 involving the killing of a prominent royal figure in the Balkans acted as the immediate catalyst, rapidly drawing the major powers into a devastating global conflict. This assassination triggered a chain reaction based on pre-existing treaties and mobilizations, quickly escalating a regional crisis into a world war.
