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The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand on June 28, 1914, was the direct catalyst for World War I because it triggered a series of events that escalated a regional conflict into a global one. -
it allowed the country to remain involved in profitable trade with both sides, avoid the human and economic costs of war, and maintain its role as a mediator. -
halting Germany's initial invasion of France, preventing a swift victory and ultimately determining that World War I would not be a short conflict. -
killed 1,195 people, including 128 Americans, which turned American public opinion against Germany and contributed to the United States' eventual entry into World War I -
its devastating human cost, its psychological impact on both France and Germany, and its influence on military strategy and national identity. -
it nearly brought the United States into World War I before the April 1917 declaration of war -
a turning point for the British Army, an event that both symbolized the brutal realities of modern warfare and forced tactical evolution. -
Its importance lies in its role as a key factor in overturning American isolationist policy and in demonstrating the power of signals intelligence, which spurred the development of modern codebreaking agencies -
it was a desperate attempt to cut off Allied supply lines that ultimately backfired by provoking the United States to enter the war -
it provided crucial resources and fresh troops that helped tip the balance in favor of the Allied powers, making Germany's defeat possible. -
mobilizing the military through conscription, establishing a precedent for drafts in future conflicts, and shaping public expectations about national duty and government authority. -
protecting national security by criminalizing the theft or unauthorized disclosure of sensitive government information, and its historical significance in shaping the balance between national security and civil liberties, particularly freedom of speech. -
providing a fresh and massive source of manpower and resources that tipped the balance against the exhausted Central Powers. -
staggering global impact, which resulted in an estimated 50 million deaths, a significant reduction in life expectancy, and unique societal consequences like a decline in birth rates. -
Russia's exit from World War I through the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was crucial for the Bolsheviks to consolidate power and later led to a brutal civil war, while internationally, it allowed Germany to focus its forces on the Western Front, temporarily shifting the balance of power.