Eli’s Mind

(1) The political assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary in June 1914 triggered a chain of events that ultimately led to World War I. The assassination heightened existing tensions among European powers, particularly between Austria-Hungary and Serbia, leading to Austria-Hungary’s ultimatum to Serbia. Serbia’s partial acceptance of the ultimatum did not satisfy Austria-Hungary, prompting a declaration of war. The intricate system of alliances then came into play, with various major countries intervening to support their allies. Germany supported Austria-Hungary, while Russia came to Serbia’s aid. France backed Russia, and Britain entered the conflict due to its entente agreements with France and Russia. These alliances escalated what could have been a localized conflict into a devastating global war.

(2) Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points, presented in January 1918 as a blueprint for post-war peace, outlined several key ideas aimed at preventing future conflicts. Five of the major ideas include: (1) Open diplomacy and freedom of the seas to ensure transparency and prevent secret agreements; (2) Free trade and economic cooperation to foster prosperity and prevent economic grievances among nations; (3) Reduction of armaments to decrease the likelihood of future military conflicts; (4) Self-determination for oppressed nationalities, allowing them to determine their own political future and reduce ethnic tensions; and (5) Creation of an international organization, later realized as the League of Nations, to provide a forum for resolving disputes peacefully and collectively maintaining global security. These principles aimed to address the root causes of conflict and promote a lasting peace among nations.