The significant event in 1914 often considered the trigger for World War I was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria. On June 28, 1914, he and his wife Sophie were killed in Sarajevo by Gavrilo Princip, a member of a nationalist group seeking greater independence for Serbia. This assassination set off a chain reaction of political tensions and alliances among European powers. Austria-Hungary’s subsequent declaration of war on Serbia prompted Russia to mobilize in defense of Serbia, followed by Germany declaring war on Russia. This quickly escalated into a full-scale global conflict, leading to the Great War.